My Critical Thoughts on the Upcoming Film Adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey
Image design by Sophia Schafer-Wharton ’26
Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Unsolicited Musings and the Like, my hopefully humorous humor column.
With this entry, I rise from my literary grave to address a topic pertinent to all Sequoyahns: the upcoming film adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan and scheduled for release in 2026. Before my readers get too excited—no, I have not managed to interview anyone in the cast or the director. My colleague Ethan Alaimo ’26 apparently has Nolan’s wife’s phone number, and offered to connect me with the family (oh, to live in Los Angeles), but I declined under the assumption that the esteemed director probably has better things to do. Thus, everything you read from here on out is simply my unsubstantiated opinion.
A hallmark of the Sequoyah experience is the careful reading and analysis of The Odyssey in one’s ninth grade year. In fact, this foundational practice is so central to underclassman life that my colleague June Baehler ’27 wrote an article on Sequoyah's different takes on the intimidating tome, in which this columnist was quoted as saying “Our time can be better spent in better places.” I stand by my opinion. Anyway, this literary tradition is Reason #1 why the Christopher Nolan movie will be a shame—this movie enables cheating. Now, students will have a relatively easy way to take in 24 books in probably around 3 hours—not to mention access to ChatGPT’s summarizing potential. This ship, like Odysseus’ famous galley, may be bound for wreck and disaster.
Additionally, I have to criticize the decision to hire Nolan in the directorial role for this movie. No one needs an adaptation of The Odyssey that is like Tenet. Homer is confusing enough. Also, why does Nolan have all of his main actors to drastically change their physical appearance for filming? First, according to co-star Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy only ate almonds for his skeletal role in Oppenheimer. Now, the one publicity photo we have of Matt Damon as Odysseus shows the Good Will Hunting Actor decked out in a historically inaccurate Spartan helmet, like some glorified mythical cockatoo. See image below.
Image credit: Universal Pictures
Speaking of Good Will Hunting, I will allude to the fact that Nolan seems prone to casting its alums in his other cinematic endeavors. I suggest casting a wider net (pun intended) in order to diversify his repertoire.
But I digress, and instead pose the following question: What is a movie without its actors? Hollow as Hades, one might say. What is a movie without its female actors? Oppenheimer. I am of the likely unfounded hope that Nolan will surpass his previous record of, in my opinion, creating female characters who have all the personality of a beige rock. The A-list actresses in The Odyssey cast include Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Lupita Nyong’o, among others; we are currently unsure of what characters they will play, but I have a few guesses for Nolan’s casting choices:
Hathaway as Penelope, branded as a faithful tradwife dedicated to the feminine art of weaving
Zendaya as Calypso the MPDG (manic pixie dream goddess)
Nyong’o as Athena—actually, no notes here
Charlize Theron as Oedipus’ mother (we know what happened to her)
Mia Goth as a sacrificial goat
However, let’s take these criticisms outside of Nolan’s creative realm, and consider the real-world applications of a blockbuster Odyssey remake. One could view this commercialization of an ancient culture as a form of cultural appropriation (especially given that the majority of the movie’s actors are American or British). Will this film be a celebration of the staying power of mythology, or a theft of Greek culture without proper recognition or representation? I’m definitely not one to say, not being culturally Greek, and I would encourage anyone interested in this slippery slope of appreciation vs. appropriation to do their own research.
Though it’s been delightful to dissect Nolan’s upcoming adaptation and its potential cultural ripples, I must wrap up this Unsolicited Musings entry out of courtesy to Harper Gowen ’26 and Rachel Youngstrom ’26, the prolific student editors of The Barefoot Times, who may or may not have raised a skeptical eyebrow when I pitched an opinion piece about a movie that currently doesn’t exist. (I appreciate your willingness to allow me authorial freedom—here at Gryphon Media Company, we crash our own creative chariots.)
I will take my leave with a final observation: if you are craving an ancient Greek fix, while The Odyssey is not scheduled for release until 2026, the second season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians is set to premiere in December 2025. Cultural appropriation or not, this show is perfect for anyone who was a fifth-grade mythology buff (like me), or is lonely and wants to live vicariously through Percy and Annabeth’s relationship (also like me).
That’s all for now. See you next time.