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Historian reacts to the most painful part of The Odyssey trailer

Historian reacts to the most painful part of The Odyssey trailer

Classicist and author Daisy Dunn reacts to the latest trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, exploring the gods, monsters and the surprising details that show faithfulness to Homer's world

Published: July 13, 2026 at 3:54 PM

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How does the upcoming Odyssey adaptation represent the Trojan Horse, a plot concocted by the wily Odysseus (played by Matt Damon)? And how does director Nolan choose to depict Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway), a woman beleaguered by suitors in Odysseus's home of Ithaca? Here’s what we know.

In this video, Dunn breaks down the detail scene-by-scene, from the monsters’ appearances and the side characters that viewers can expect to see on screen, to a prop that harks back to a real Minoan palace – which seems in keeping with the real historical setting that inspired Homer.

Watch along to discover the myths, history and hidden details you may have missed, and don’t miss our four-part podcast series on The Odyssey, with HistoryExtra’s Kev Lochun in conversation with Daisy Dunn. It covers the mystery of Homer’s identity, why talking about the poem as a ‘written book’ is more problematic than you might think, and how The Odyssey – a work of historical fiction, even in Homer's time – is underpinned by real, much older historical influences.