Nobody does it like Christopher Nolan. For decades now, he’s been delivering cinematic excellence, sending us to the depths of the cosmos, through multiple dream layers, forward and backwards through time, and into the dark heart of Gotham. With Oppenheimer, he turned the creation of the atomic bomb into a world-conquering summer hit – a doom-laden three-hour behemoth that swept the Oscars. And if you thought that was bold, just you wait. In 2026, Christopher Nolan returns with his biggest film yet, an all-out epic based on one of the most foundational myths in human history, brought to thunderous cinematic life like never before. The Odyssey is coming. The journey begins… now.
This month’s issue of Empire features a major world-exclusive look at Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey – chronicling the creation of the epic of all epics. We flew to Los Angeles to speak to Nolan at his office about what made him want to tackle a story that’s endured for thousands of years, even getting to see some of the film itself; get the lowdown from Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema on their new breakthroughs in IMAX filmmaking; and find out how they’re bringing Homer’s tale to life via a vast, on-location shoot. Plus, we speak to Odysseus himself, Matt Damon, about creating major summer spectacle, growing his massive beard for the role, and setting sail on the Draken. All that, and it’s filled with the very first images released from the film – The Odyssey starts here, only in Empire.
This month’s newsstand cover sees Matt Damon’s Odysseus flanked by the Trojan horse as his epic journey home begins.
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And this month’s subscriber cover – showing warriors hauling the horse towards Troy – is illustrated by Paul Shipper.
And that’s not all. This issue also features our gigantic 2026 preview – offering brand new looks at Star Wars’ big-screen return in The Mandalorian And Grogu; Pixar’s Toy Story 5; Maggie Gyllenhaal’s monster movie The Bride!; new Westeros tale A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms; emotional Shakespeare drama Hamnet; Looney Tunes comedy Coyote Vs. Acme; Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again; and much more. Plus, we have a major new James Cameron interview – with the legendary filmmaker answering your questions on Avatar, Alita, Aliens and more.
It’s an issue you don’t want to miss – find it on newsstands from Thursday 20 November. Pre-order a copy online here. The Odyssey comes to UK cinemas from 17 July 2026.