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Below, you’ll find a detailed explanation of the story behind The Odyssey, including what the story is about and how Nolan has assembled an impressive cast and crew to bring one of the most ambitious literary adaptations to life.
What Is The Odyssey Adapted From?
Nolan’s The Odyssey is the latest screen adaptation of the Odyssey, one half of the two-part epic written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The Odyssey and its companion, the Iliad, are two of the oldest surviving pieces of literature from the ancient world, dating back to around the 8th or 7th century BC. The Iliad and Odyssey each tell their respective stories across 24 “books” ( chapters); collectively, the two epics detail the final days of the Trojan War, which was fought between the city of Troy and the Greek army, which was led by the imperial Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and ruler of Greece.
The Iliad covers events that most moviegoers would know from Wolfgang Peterson’s 2004 historical epic film, Troy: how Queen Helen of Sparta (and wife of Agamemnon’s brother, King Menelaus) had an affair with young Prince Paris of Troy, who smuggles Helen back to his homeland in hopes of marrying her. Instead, Paris ignites one of the most pivotal wars in history, with Agamemnon and Menelaus amassing a massive Greek fleet to sail to and invade Troy, while unleashing the greatest Greek warrior, Achilles, to take on Troy’s champion, Prince Hector. It’s the final days of that invasion, and the world-changing events that occur, which set up the story of the Odyssey (more on that, below).
Nolan’s movie will be the tenth film or TV project that either directly adapts the Odyssey or is based on it. In fact, most moviegoers may not realize that the Coen Brothers’ cult-hit 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedic spin on the Odyssey, while the recent character drama The Return (2024), with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, explores the pivotal relationship drama included in the final chapters of Homer’s epic.
The Odyssey‘s Story Explained
The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus (aka “Ulysses” in Latin), king of the Greek island of Ithaca. After fighting the ten-year war against Troy for Agamemnon, Odysseus seeks to return home to his wife, Penelope, and son Telemachus.
However, what starts as a simple journey home becomes an epic saga of struggle and side quests that costs Odysseus another ten years of his life. Meanwhile, Penelope is forced to endure a long test of love and faith, as she is relentlessly pressured to consider and accept a new suitor who can take over the throne.
