Christopher Nolan’s new movie The Odyssey arrived in theaters on July 17, 2026. The film has already created a massive buzz worldwide. But something unexpected happened along the way. People started reading the ancient Greek poem that inspired the film. Some are even reading it on Wikipedia.
The Hindustan Times reported that after nearly 3,000 years, Nolan and star Matt Damon have done what English teachers could not. They got people to actually read Homer’s epic. The story follows King Odysseus on his long journey home after the Trojan War. Now, with a star-studded movie adaptation, audiences want to know the original story.
People Are Picking Up the Book Before Watching the Film
Sam Wall, a 21-year-old from the United States, did not read The Odyssey when it was assigned in high school. He learned just enough to pass his English class. But when he heard about Nolan’s movie, he changed his mind. He picked up a translation of the epic poem and read it in a few days. Then he read it again. He even read Virgil’s The Aeneid to understand the Trojan Horse story better.
“I need to make sure that I read it, so that I know if it’s accurate or not,” Wall said.
Wall is not alone. Many readers are digging into different versions of the story. They want to be ready to watch Matt Damon play Odysseus on his 10-year journey home. TikTok is now full of videos showing readers holding up their copies of the poem. The translation by Emily Wilson, a classicist from the University of Pennsylvania, is very popular. Nolan has mentioned using Wilson’s translation as a source for the film.
Wikipedia Page Views Are Going Through the Roof
Not everyone has the time or patience to read a 500-page book. So many people are turning to Wikipedia instead. The Wikipedia page for The Odyssey has seen a huge spike in traffic. Jayren Reyes, a 21-year-old from Calgary, said he did not plan to read all 24 books of the poem. But he did spend time on the Wikipedia page to get familiar with the story.
Some movie fans are just now learning that Nolan’s $250 million production is not an original screenplay. When the movie was first announced, Matt Ramos, a comic book movie creator known as “Supes,” posted a screenshot of a Google search. The search told him that The Odyssey is a retelling of a poem written in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago. Many people reacted with surprise that he had to look it up.
Cole Wojewoda, a 21-year-old film student in Virginia, said he could relate.
“It’s never been a recognizable name for me,” Wojewoda said.
He plans to wait until after he sees the movie to read the poem.
Book Sales and Audiobooks Are Breaking Records
The film’s release has caused a major increase in sales for the ancient epic. According to Circana BookScan, sales for all translated editions of The Odyssey have grown by 76 percent since the theatrical campaign began. Digital platforms are also seeing a big jump in readership. E-book checkouts through Libby have risen by 217 percent compared to last year. On Spotify, global listenership for The Odyssey audiobook spiked by more than 300 percent.
Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation has become the top-selling edition of the year. It has sold more than one million copies in the United States. The surge in sales began after the film’s initial announcement in December 2024. W.W. Norton, the publisher, confirmed the historic sales numbers. The New York Public Library also reported that Wilson’s edition makes up 90 percent of its print holds and over half of its digital reservations.
Teachers and Scholars Are Taking the Win
For years, English teachers and Homeric scholars have tried to get students to appreciate The Odyssey. Now, a Hollywood movie has done the job for them. Daniel Mendelsohn, a humanities professor at Bard College who has published his own translation of the poem, shared his thoughts.
“It’s not like we’re trying to sell you a lemon here,” Mendelsohn said. “It’s a Rolls-Royce, just get in it and take it for a drive and you’re going to wonder why you ever drove anything else.”
Lawrence Kim, a professor in Trinity University’s Department of Classical Studies, also welcomed the trend.
“Frankly, anything that gets people reading or listening to Homer is fine with me,” Kim said.
Some Fans Are Going All In
Not everyone is just skimming the Wikipedia page. Some fans are fully committing to the source material. Duncan Rengozzi-La Barre, a 42-year-old marketing professional in Wales, decided to read The Odyssey in full. He is a big Nolan fan and wanted that feeling of knowing the source material before watching the film.
“I went in completely cold,” he said. “All I knew was that it was a guy returning home. I didn’t know what he was returning home from.”
New readers are also discovering that The Odyssey is actually an entertaining story. Nailah Williams, a 25-year-old content creator in Atlanta, was so engaged while reading the Robert Fagles translation that she had a physical reaction to one scene.
“It feels both fantastical but also very human,” she said.
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The Film Is Now Playing in Theaters
The Odyssey is now showing in theaters worldwide. The film features a large ensemble cast including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, and Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Christopher Nolan directed the film from his own script and produced it alongside his wife, Emma Thomas, through their company Syncopy.
The movie is the first feature film to be entirely shot with IMAX cameras. It has already received strong reviews, holding a 97 percent Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 2,500 verified audience ratings.
Whether people are reading the book, listening to the audiobook, or just checking the Wikipedia page, one thing is clear. Christopher Nolan’s film has brought a 3,000-year-old story back into the spotlight.
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