Christopher Nolan delivered one of the biggest movies of the decade with The Odyssey, a blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s epic Greek fantasy. Featuring a star-studded ensemble led by Matt Damon, The Odyssey has received a spectacular response from audiences, nabbing a 94% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
According to Box Office Mojo, since opening in theaters on July 17, The Odyssey has grossed over $1.446 billion in theaters. Not only is it the highest-grossing Christopher Nolan movie, but also the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, having beaten the record set by Deadpool & Wolverine.
Fans worldwide have flocked to theaters to see Nolan’s epic on the biggest screen possible. Some even purchased IMAX tickets a whole year in advance, establishing Nolan’s ability to bring people to cinemas. However, like one of Penelope’s dreadful suitors, the film couldn’t stick around in theaters forever.
If you’re a physical film collector, then a copy of The Odyssey may have been on your radar for quite some time. Casual streamers may also want to have the film added to their digital library. Fortunately, over a month after its premiere, The Odyssey has landed a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and digital release date.
The Odyssey now has physical and digital release dates
Nolan’s film makes the long journey home this November
Much like Odysseus, it will take a long time for The Odyssey to make its way to audiences’ homes. According to Blu-ray.com, The Odyssey’s 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray release are scheduled for November 17, 2026. The Odyssey is also expected to hit PVOD platforms like Apple TV and Fandango at Home at the same time. The price to rent or buy the film digitally has not been revealed yet.
Right now, you can’t pre-order physical discs for The Odyssey. No bonus or behind-the-scenes features have been announced either. However, for those who want physical and digital copies of The Odyssey, the 4K UHD, standard Blu-ray, and special edition steelbook all come with a digital HD copy.
These days, it is not uncommon for movies to get a physical media release after four months. This was the case with Nolan’s previous film, Oppenheimer. However, The Odyssey will spend more time in theaters than most major studio movies.
The Odyssey
Trivia challenge
From the shores of Troy to the halls of Ithaca — how well do you know
Homer’s epic tale of the long way home?
CharactersMythologyMonstersJourneysEpic Poetry
Who is the central hero of the Odyssey, trying to return home after the fall of
Troy?
Correct! Odysseus, king of Ithaca, is the cunning hero at the heart of
Homer’s epic. Known for his intelligence and resourcefulness, his name has even given us the word
‘odyssey’ to describe any long, eventful journey.
Not quite — the answer is Odysseus. While Achilles and Agamemnon are
prominent figures in the Iliad, the Odyssey follows Odysseus specifically on his decade-long struggle to
return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
What type of creature is Polyphemus, whom Odysseus blinds in order to escape his
cave?
Correct! Polyphemus is a Cyclops, one of a race of one-eyed giants and
the son of Poseidon. Odysseus blinds him with a sharpened stake and escapes by hiding under the bellies
of the giant’s sheep — a classic moment of cunning over brute strength.
Not quite — Polyphemus is a Cyclops, a one-eyed giant and son of the sea
god Poseidon. Odysseus escapes his cave by blinding him and slipping away beneath his sheep, but
Poseidon’s fury over his son’s fate hounds Odysseus for much of the rest of the journey.
Which goddess is Odysseus’s most consistent divine protector throughout the Odyssey?
Correct! Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare, champions Odysseus
throughout the epic. Her support makes sense given that both she and Odysseus are celebrated for their
cleverness — she even disguises herself and others multiple times to help him on his way.
Not quite — it’s Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She is Odysseus’s divine
patron and appears repeatedly throughout the epic, guiding him, disguising him, and even intervening on
his behalf with Zeus and Poseidon to help him reach home safely.
On whose island does Odysseus spend seven years as a reluctant lover before being
allowed to leave?
Correct! Calypso, a nymph who lives on the island of Ogygia, detains
Odysseus for seven years, offering him immortality in exchange for staying with her. It is only when
Zeus sends Hermes with a direct command that she reluctantly releases him.
Not quite — the answer is Calypso, a sea nymph on the island of Ogygia.
Circe is a common mix-up, as Odysseus also stays with her for a year, but it is Calypso who keeps him
for seven years and offers him eternal life if he will remain by her side.
In what literary device does the Odyssey begin, starting the story in the middle of
the action rather than at the very beginning?
Correct! The Odyssey opens in medias res — Latin for ‘into the middle of
things’ — a hallmark of classical epic poetry. The Trojan War is already over, Odysseus has been
wandering for years, and we join the story as his son Telemachus is coming of age and seeking news of
his father.
Not quite — the technique is called in medias res, meaning the story
begins in the middle of events already underway. It’s a defining feature of Homeric epic; rather than
starting at the beginning of Odysseus’s journey, we join events already in motion and learn earlier
details through flashbacks and storytelling.
What is the name of Odysseus’s faithful wife, who delays remarrying by unravelling
her weaving each night?
Correct! Penelope is one of literature’s most celebrated figures of
loyalty and cleverness. She tells her suitors she will choose a new husband once she finishes weaving a
funeral shroud — but secretly unravels her work each night, buying time for Odysseus to return.
Not quite — the answer is Penelope. Clytemnestra is a common mix-up, as
she is the unfaithful wife of Agamemnon in the same mythological cycle. Penelope is Odysseus’s devoted
wife, whose nightly unravelling of her weaving is a famous symbol of fidelity and quiet resistance.
Odysseus is warned to sail between two dangerous threats — the six-headed monster
Scylla and what treacherous whirlpool?
Correct! Charybdis is a deadly whirlpool monster that could swallow
Odysseus’s entire ship. Forced to choose between the two threats, he steers closer to Scylla, losing six
men but saving the vessel — giving rise to the phrase ‘between Scylla and Charybdis,’ meaning a choice
between two equally bad options.
Not quite — the whirlpool is Charybdis. Together, Scylla and Charybdis
represented an impossible dilemma for ancient sailors, and navigating between them is one of the
Odyssey’s most dramatic episodes. The phrase has survived to this day as a metaphor for being caught
between two terrible choices.
How does Odysseus ultimately prove his identity to the suitors and reclaim his home
upon returning to Ithaca?
Correct! Penelope holds an archery contest, promising to marry whichever
suitor can string Odysseus’s mighty bow and shoot an arrow through the rings of twelve axe handles. None
of the suitors can even string it — but Odysseus, still in disguise, does so effortlessly and then turns
the bow on the suitors themselves.
Not quite — the answer is the archery contest with the great bow.
Penelope devises the test, unknowingly giving her disguised husband the perfect opportunity. After
Odysseus strings the bow and fires through all twelve axe handles, he reveals himself and, with the help
of Telemachus and loyal servants, slaughters the suitors who had plagued his household.
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How would The Odyssey look on 4K UHD and Blu-ray?
This IMAX epic will look very different at home
The Odyssey made cinema history as the first feature-length movie to be shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film cameras. A home copy of such a picture would have to adapt the movie’s tall aspect ratio to fit users’ screens. This change would bring the ratio down and cut out portions of the film that would’ve only been shown in an IMAX theater.
If you’re a moviegoer who wishes to see everything that Nolan shot for The Odyssey, you may want to see it in IMAX while you can. However, a Blu-ray copy of The Odyssey would still deliver sharp and detailed footage to audiences at home. The 4K UHD version would look even sharper than regular Blu-ray, thanks to its much higher digital resolution.
When will The Odyssey be available on Peacock?
Likely not until after 2026
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$13.99
- Simultaneous streams
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3
- # of profiles
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6
- Originals
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Yes
Since Universal Pictures produced The Odyssey, the film is expected to drop on the studio’s flagship streaming service, Peacock, sometime in the future. However, subscribers may have to wait much longer to stream the movie at no extra charge.
Nolan’s last Universal film, Oppenheimer, came out nearly three months after its PVOD release, which was six months after its theatrical release. If history repeats itself, audiences may not see The Odyssey on Peacock until around February 2027. In the meantime, fans learn more about the film’s production with Peacock’s behind-the-scenes documentary, The Odyssey: The Making of an Epic.
Though the wait for The Odyssey’s home release is long, audiences have shown that they are willing to wait and see the film in theaters whenever possible. Thanks to its popularity, audiences should have plenty of opportunities to see Nolan’s blockbuster in cinemas before hitting shelves and streaming services this November.
- Release Date
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July 15, 2026
- Runtime
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173 minutes
- Director
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Christopher Nolan
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Robert Pattinson
Antinous
