It's hard to think of a film in recent years that has attracted quite as much excitement or chatter as Christopher Nolan's new take on Homer's epic The Odyssey.
Of course, one of the talking points throughout has been speculation regarding just how closely Nolan would stick to the source text, the ancient Greek poem that dates back to the 8th century BC.
So what changes have been made? Read on for everything you need to know.
The Odyssey accuracy: How closely does Nolan’s adaptation stick to Homer’s epic?
For the most part the film skews fairly closely to the source material, certainly more so than some previous takes (such as the delightful Coen brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a very loose adaptation of the epic).
Some of the most obvious changes are concerned with the central character of Odysseus, played by Matt Damon. In the poem, the character is frequently deceitful – although this isn't necessarily framed as a character weakness – while he is also in some ways very far from a typical hero.
He shows genuine signs of having been troubled by the violence that was brought about in Troy as a direct result of his deception, with this theme becoming arguably the key one of Nolan's adaptation – certainly playing a more important role than in the original work.
View Green Video on the source websiteFor example, the role of the nymph Calypso – played in the film by Charlize Theron – is rather different, not so much tormenting Odysseus as she does in the original text (in which she is in love with him and refuses to let him move on) but instead presented as more sympathetic to his plight.
In the source text, Odysseus ends up living with her for an entire year after they sleep together in his attempt to convince her to transform his men back into their human form (after she had turned them into pigs).
Several other enemies are also slightly changed; the Laestrygonians – a race of giant cannibals in the poem – are altered to resemble large, armour-wearing knights, while the version of Polyphemus we see in the film does not engage in conversation with Odysseus as in the original work.
In the text, the only things from the sea that cause fear for the characters are Gods and monsters rather than invading people – and so this addition of a feared people, put forward as a possible reason for the collapse of Ancient Mycenaean civilisation, is a new addition for this version of the story.
The term Sea Peoples was first used by 19th century French Egyptologists to describe various accounts of invading naval forces made in Ancient Egyptian texts, with similar accounts having also appeared in Ancient Greek texts, and it is this which Nolan is drawing on in his adaptation.
In the film, Sinon is presented as a pawn in Odysseus's scheme to deceive the Trojans, and his death is something which later haunts Odysseus – especially given Sinon was only called up to serve as a result of Antinous (Robert Pattinson) refusing to join the forces.
As with the other changes, it is one that makes sense for Nolan's version of the tale, which is especially keen on exploring how Odysseus's psyche has been affecting by both his original war victory but also the long journey home.
Book your £10 seat for the first ever Radio Times Film Night and watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with fellow film fans at Odeon Luxe Islington on Thursday 23 July 2026.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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