The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’sThe Odysseyis the director’s next big movie, set to be a cinematic reimagining of the legendary poem by Homer.
With major additions to the cast being revealed over the past few weeks, the film has another huge ensemble (much likeOppenheimer’s cast)that reunites Nolan with several actors he’s collaborated with before.The story ofThe Odysseyis massive in both scale and structure, so it’s not surprising that its cast is proving to be just as epic.
While the likes ofTom Holland, Charlize Theron, and Zendaya haven’t worked with the iconic director before, many of the film’s other cast members are recognizable from Nolan’s previous works.
The filmmaker clearly makes an effort to reunite with actors whose work he appreciates, as proven by Cillian Murphy finally landing a lead role inOppenheimerin 2023.
The mostrecent additions toThe Odyssey’s castare further evidence of this, with the majority of the confirmed ensemble having credits in Nolan’s previous films.
7Matt Damon
Appeared In Interstellar & Oppenheimer
Matt Damon was among the first confirmed names forThe Odyssey, and his involvement shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody.
The actor has previously appeared in bothInterstellarandOppenheimer, both times playing a supporting character who absolutely stole the show.The Odysseyis a story brimming with important supporting characters, some of whom only appear for single scenes, making it no mystery why Nolan has brought Damon back for this project.
6Anne Hathaway
Appeared In Interstellar & The Dark Knight Rises
It’s been over 10 years since Nolan collaborated with Anne Hathaway, so it’s hugely exciting to see the pair working together again.
Although she’s best known for her lead role inInterstellar,the actress also appeared as Catwoman inThe Dark Knight Rises.
Incidentally, this new project should be vindicating for Hathaway, as many audiences believed that hercharacter was wasted inThe Dark Knight Rises, and she wasn’t given enough to do.
This is the perfect opportunity for Nolan and Hathaway to finally capitalize on their shared talent, hopefully giving her a more substantial and memorable role.
5Robert Pattinson
Appeared In Tenet
Though Robert Pattinson has only worked with Nolan once, his supporting role inTenetwas arguably the best part of the film.
In a project that received mixed reviews,Pattinson’s performance was widely praisedfor his eccentric personality and effortless command of Nolan’s complex dialogue.He clearly understood the bold storytelling ofTenetin a way that many audiences didn’t, proving that he works efficiently alongside the director.
It was disappointing to see Pattinson omitted fromOppenheimer’s huge ensemble, so it’s a massive relief to find him here.
4Elliot Page
Appeared In Inception
Inceptionis widely regarded as one ofChristopher Nolan’s best movies, andElliot Page was a huge reason for the Best Picture nominee’s success.
His character is among the most relatable and understandable figures in an otherwise confusing and complex narrative, which couldn’t have been easy to pull off.
His return forThe Odysseyis extremely promising, not just because of his undeniable talent and charm, but also because the inclusion of a trans actor in this otherwise ancient story proves that Nolan is trying to move away from the parts of this mythos that haven’t aged particularly well.
3Himesh Patel
Another recent collaborator of Nolan’s filmography, Himesh Patel appears only briefly but memorably inTenetas the fixer Mahir, as the one responsible for crashing the plane into the airport and causing a diversion for Neil and the Protagonist.Patel’s role was small, buthe clearly made an impression on Nolan, given that the director has also brought him back forThe Odyssey.
2Bill Irwin
Appeared In Interstellar
Although he’s not as well-known as some ofThe Odyssey’s more A-List names, Bill Irwin’s involvement in the upcoming epic is hugely exciting.The actor previously voiced the character of TARS inInception, the intelligent robot who helps charter a course for the astronauts; mission.
It’s worth noting that Irwin is also known for his work as a comedian and clown, which could point towards a unique role inThe Odyssey.
1Benny Safdie
Appeared In Oppenheimer
Benny Safdie plays the role of Edward Teller inOppenheimer, a very understated but crucial character whose conflicts with Cillian Murphy’s protagonist push the story forward in dynamic ways.
Safdie has a very solemn and serious style of acting, which could mean he plays one of the more important (potentially villainous) characters inThe Odyssey.Nolan has promised to make more large-scale moviesafter the success ofOppenheimer, and the inclusion of all these fascinating character actors is a clear sign that he’s doing exactly that.
Cast
