Christopher Nolan is collaborating once again with Matt Damon for his next film, The Odyssey, which is one of the most anticipated films of 2026. Damon has already wrapped six months of filming with the director and recently shared an interesting story with GQ. One of the first things Nolan told Damon before they began production was for the actor to keep growing his beard.
When Damon asked his director whether he wanted to try a hand-laid beard for the film, Nolan shut down the idea. He shared that he wanted to keep things real for the film. The Jason Bourne actor shared with the outlet:
Once [Christopher Nolan] gave me the part and I met with him, he said, ‘Just keep growing your beard.’ I said, “Really, you don’t want to try to hand-lay a beard, like the Italian style?’ and he’s like ‘No, no, no, it’s all got to be real for me, so just keep growing it.’
Damon also sported a beard for his role as a Miami Police Department lieutenant in the upcoming Netflix film, The Rip. He is reuniting with his friend Ben Affleck for the film. Damon didn’t reveal much about the Nolan film, which is not surprising, as Nolan would like to keep the lid tight shut on his film.
It was confirmed that the film would be an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Universal has once again become the home to a Nolan film after the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer
What Do We Know About Matt Damon’s Role in The Odyssey?
One of the first stars attached to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was Matt Damon. His casting announcement came last October, followed by the news of Tom Holland’s casting. Over the next few months, the film announced an ensemble cast: Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, and Will Yun Lee.
It was also revealed that Cosmo Jarvis, who appeared in Shōgun, was initially cast in a role before he had to step away due to a scheduling conflict (via Deadline). Universal later revealed that Damon would play the titular character in the film and revealed a photo of him in the Gladiator costume.
Matt Damon is Odysseus. A film by Christopher Nolan, #TheOdysseyMovie is in theaters July 17, 2026. pic.twitter.com/7a5YbfqVfG
— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) February 17, 2025
It will be the Good Will Hunting actor’s third collaboration with Nolan after Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Interestingly, Nolan’s latest Oscar-winning film brought back Damon from an acting break. Damon earlier revealed to EW that he had made a deal with his wife in couples therapy to take a hiatus from acting.
He explained, “I actually negotiated in couples therapy the one caveat to my taking time off was if Chris Nolan called.” Nolan approached him with the role of Leslie Groves, and he immediately jumped at the chance.
While his roles in both Interstellar and Oppenheimer were well-received, Damon had less screen space compared to his co-stars. The new film will have him in the central role as opposed to these films. With this third collaboration with Nolan, Damon will also enter the ranks of actors who have worked on three or more films with the Inception director.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Sold Out IMAX Tickets a Year Before Its Release
In a message posted to X during the time of the film’s announcement, Universal shared that Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will be shot using brand-new IMAX film technology. The studio shared, “The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”
Interestingly, IMAX took to X on July 17, 2025, to announce the tickets on sale for the first IMAX 70mm screenings of the film. The tickets went on sale a full year before the film was set to hit theaters.
Get tickets now to experience the first IMAX 70mm screenings of #TheOdysseyMovie – A film by Christopher Nolan. In theaters 7 17 26. https://t.co/B6z1mqBRA2 pic.twitter.com/O641unm25o
— IMAX (@IMAX) July 17, 2025
According to THR, the tickets were sold out within an hour. It was also reported that it accounted for $1.5 million in sales. The tickets later appeared on sites for resale, with rates as high as $300-$400. The first teaser trailer of the film has already hit theaters. It has yet to be released for a wider audience.
What do you think of Matt Damon’s role in Nolan’s new film? Let us know in the comments below!
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is set to be released on July 17, 2026.
