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The Odyssey stars Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway respond to potential The Iliad return question
"If he picks up the phone, we’ll do that."
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- Molly Moss
Published: Friday, 17 July 2026 at 5:00 pm
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The Odyssey stars Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway have addressed the question of whether they’d be open to revisiting Homer’s world a second time in an Iliad movie.
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The Odyssey, which is out in cinemas today (17 July), is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem and follows Odysseus’s decades-long voyage home to Ithaca in the aftermath of the Trojan war.
Since the project was announced back in 2024, there's been speculation among fans about whether Nolan might also adapt Homer's other epic poem, The Iliad.
The story takes place before the events of The Odyssey and during the final stages of the Trojan War, and would serve as a prequel set in the same universe.
Asked in an interview with Radio Times whether they'd be up for starring in a follow-up in the form of an Iliad movie, Damon – who leads the cast of The Odyssey as Odysseus, the heroic king of Ithaca – said: "If he picks up the phone, we’ll do that."
Hathaway, who plays Odysseus's wife Penelope, added: "We’ll do anything."
Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland in The Odyssey. Universal Pictures
Nolan previously revealed that he almost directed 2004’s epic film Troy, which is loosely based on The Iliad.
In an interview with Empire Magazine back in November 2025, Nolan explained that he was originally on board as director before Wolfgang Petersen took on the role.
Peterson had developed the film, but left Warner Bros to hire a director while he worked on another project, with the studio subsequently hiring Nolan.
But when Peterson’s other production fell through, he returned to direct the film.
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Nolan explained to the publication: “I was originally hired by Warner Bros to direct Troy. Wolfgang [Petersen] had developed it, and so when the studio decided not to proceed with his superhero movie [Batman vs Superman], he wanted it back.
“At the end of the day, it was a world that I was very interested to explore. So it’s been at the back of my mind for a very long time. Certain images, particularly. How I wanted to handle the Trojan horse, things like that.”
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The Odyssey will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 17 July.
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.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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