Universal Pictures just dropped its second trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and it’s nothing short of massive. The scope, scale, and practical spectacle on display feel like a throwback to the kind of sweeping mythological epics Hollywood used to make on a regular basis. Massive ships crashing through violent seas, armies marching across burning landscapes, towering practical sets… it genuinely looks like one of the biggest cinematic events in years.
What makes The Odyssey especially interesting for horror fans is that the original story is much darker than people probably remember. At its core, it’s a grounded survival story about a man trying to get home after war, but layered into that are monsters, curses, gods, and some genuinely terrifying imagery. Because the story treats everything so seriously and realistically, the horror elements land even harder.
The new trailer really leans into that side of things, giving audiences their first full look at the Cyclops. And the way the trailer builds toward that reveal makes it pretty clear that Nolan wants audiences to know this isn’t just a historical epic; there are real mythological horrors lurking beneath it!
And the Cyclops is really just scratching the surface. The Odyssey also features horrifying creatures and mythological threats like Scylla, a multi-headed sea monster, Charybdis, a massive living whirlpool, the Sirens, who lure sailors to their deaths, giant cannibals known as the Laestrygonians, the witch Circe, who transforms men into animals, and even a journey into the Underworld itself, where Odysseus encounters the dead and supernatural visions.
While many audiences probably associate Greek mythology on screen with movies like Clash of the Titans, The Odyssey has always leaned much darker, blending grounded survival storytelling with mythological horror.
The Odyssey has been adapted countless times over the years, both directly and loosely, including the 1954 film Ulysses, the 1997 television miniseries starring Armand Assante, and even modern reinterpretations like the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? But Nolan’s version looks poised to deliver the story on a scale audiences haven’t seen in decades.
In theaters on July 17, 2026.
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