After their successful collaboration on Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolan has once again teamed up with actor Benny Safdie for his next ambitious project: an adaptation of The Odyssey.

Safdie, famed for his work with his brother Josh in the Safdie Brothers directing duo, will join an all-star cast for this monumental project. Although Universal, the studio behind the film, has yet to confirm the news officially, sources have confirmed Safdie’s casting to Deadline.

The film, based on Homer’s iconic 8th-century BCE epic, will see Safdie alongside a stellar ensemble that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.

Universal officially announced last month that Nolan’s next film would be a grand-scale adaptation of The Odyssey. Described as a “mythic action epic,” the movie will bring the ancient Greek tale to life with unprecedented cinematic flair, shot using cutting-edge Imax technology for a truly immersive experience.

In a statement, Universal stressed the grandeur of the project, stating: “Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new Imax film technology. It will bring Homer’s foundational saga to Imax film screens for the first time.”

The film is set for release on 17 July, 2026, marking the first time Homer’s The Odyssey will be experienced in Imax format. One of the most revered works of Western literature, the story follows Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way, Odysseus encounters divine forces, mythical creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, and the seductive Sirens, while exploring themes of heroism, loyalty, intelligence, and perseverance.

In addition to his role in The Odyssey, Benny Safdie is also set to star in Happy Gilmore 2 alongside Adam Sandler and will soon make his directorial debut with The Smashing Machine, a biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, slated for release later this year by A24.

This adaptation marks Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal following the success of Oppenheimer, the 2023 Oscar-winning drama about the creation of the atomic bomb.