The Odyssey Trivia 2026: 40 Questions and Answers
One of the oldest stories ever told is about to get the biggest screen of the year. Christopher Nolan's epic adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey reaches cinemas on 17 July 2026 — his first film since Oppenheimer (2023) — with Matt Damon as the wandering hero Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as his faithful wife Penelope, leading a huge ensemble for Universal Pictures. The release has sent searches for everything Odyssey-and-Greek-mythology soaring.
These 40 The Odyssey trivia questions and answers ride that wave. The first questions cover the 2026 film — the director, the cast, the release and how it was made — before the quiz dives into Homer's 3,000-year-old poem (the Cyclops, Circe, the Sirens, the suitors and the great homecoming to Ithaca) and the wider world of Greek mythology that surrounds it. Every question is multiple choice, with the correct answer plus three plausible alternatives, so you can test yourself, settle a debate or run a movie-night quiz.
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Who is the writer-director of the 2026 epic film The Odyssey?
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1. Who is the writer-director of the 2026 epic film The Odyssey?
2. Which actor plays the hero Odysseus in Nolan's 2026 film?
3. On what date is The Odyssey (2026) scheduled to be released in cinemas?
4. The Odyssey (2026) is an adaptation of an epic poem attributed to which ancient poet?
5. The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan's first film since which Best Picture winner?
6. Which Oscar-winning actress plays Odysseus's wife Penelope in the 2026 film?
7. Which studio is distributing Nolan's The Odyssey?
8. The Odyssey was heavily promoted as being shot using which large-format film system?
9. Which composer, Nolan's collaborator on Tenet and Oppenheimer, scored The Odyssey?
10. Which 'Spider-Man' star joined the large ensemble cast of The Odyssey?
11. Which 'Dune' actress is part of the cast of Nolan's The Odyssey?
12. Matt Damon previously played General Leslie Groves in which 2023 Nolan film?
13. Anne Hathaway had earlier starred for Nolan in which 2014 space epic?
14. Broadly, what genre is Nolan's The Odyssey described as?
15. Odysseus is the king of which Greek island, which he spends the poem trying to reach?
16. What is the name of Odysseus's wife, who waits faithfully for his return?
17. What is the name of Odysseus and Penelope's son?
18. The Odyssey is considered a sequel to which other epic poem attributed to Homer?
19. Which war is Odysseus returning home from at the start of his ten-year journey?
20. What kind of creature is Polyphemus, whom Odysseus blinds to escape his cave?
21. What false name does Odysseus give the Cyclops so no one comes to help him?
22. Which god, father of the Cyclops, hounds Odysseus and keeps him from home?
23. Which goddess of wisdom is Odysseus's protector throughout the poem?
24. Which enchantress turns Odysseus's men into pigs on the island of Aeaea?
25. Which nymph keeps Odysseus on her island Ogygia for about seven years?
26. To resist the Sirens' deadly song, Odysseus has his crew do what?
27. Odysseus must steer between two sea monsters — Charybdis the whirlpool and which six-headed beast?
28. On one island, lotus-eating locals offer a fruit that makes Odysseus's men do what?
29. How does Penelope delay choosing a new husband from her many suitors?
30. How does Odysseus prove his identity to the suitors before defeating them?
31. Which loyal animal recognises the disguised Odysseus on his return and then dies?
32. Penelope tests the returned Odysseus with a secret about their bed — what made it special?
33. Roughly how many years is Odysseus away from Ithaca in total (war plus journey)?
34. In the underworld, which blind prophet does Odysseus consult about getting home?
35. Who is the king of the Greek gods, ruling from Mount Olympus?
36. Which Greek god rules the underworld?
37. Which monster has snakes for hair and turns onlookers to stone?
38. In Greek myth, who flew too close to the sun on wax wings and fell into the sea?
39. Which Titan was punished for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humans?
40. Which hero was famous for completing twelve labours, including slaying the Nemean lion?
Frequently asked questions
- What is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and when does it come out?
- The Odyssey is an epic action-adventure film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, adapting Homer's ancient Greek poem. It is set for cinema release on 17 July 2026 — Nolan's first film since Oppenheimer (2023) — and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, leading a large ensemble for Universal Pictures.
- What are the three main themes of The Odyssey?
- The poem's central themes are hospitality, loyalty and vengeance. Hospitality is tied to the Greek idea of xenia, or guest-friendship: hosts and guests owe each other respect, and abusing it — as Penelope's suitors do — invites the wrath of the gods. Loyalty drives Penelope, Telemachus and the servants who wait for Odysseus, while vengeance fuels his final reckoning with the suitors.
- What are some fun facts about Odysseus?
- Odysseus is famed for his cunning (Greek metis): he devised the Trojan Horse, escaped the Cyclops Polyphemus by calling himself 'Nobody', and resisted the Sirens by having himself tied to the mast. He is the king of Ithaca, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus, and his journey home from the Trojan War takes ten years — about twenty years away from home in total.
- How long was Odysseus away from home?
- About twenty years in total: roughly ten years fighting in the Trojan War, followed by a ten-year journey home delayed by Poseidon, the Cyclops, Circe, Calypso and other obstacles before he finally reaches Ithaca.
- Who is in the cast of Nolan's The Odyssey (2026)?
- The ensemble is led by Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and the announced cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o, among many others.
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