'The Odyssey': Get ready for Christopher Nolan's blockbuster with our cheat sheet

A three-hour long adaptation of a nearly 2,000-year-old Greek poem may not sound like a summer blockbuster. Yet “The Odyssey,” Christopher Nolan’s IMAX-sized version of Homer’s epic tale, is shaping up to be just that.

“On paper, that is not the formula,” David A. Gross, author of the box office newsletter FranchiseRE, said. But he added, “I think audiences are going to buy in -- and they are buying in. It’s already happening.”

Tickets to large-format screenings of “The Odyssey” went on sale a year in advance and some sold out within the day, according to Deadline.com. Merchandising tie-ins have begun: an “Odyssey” speaker from audio manufacturer Klipsch, an “Odyssey” watch by Hamilton, Greek-themed tote bags at Barnes & Noble. Even the AI sector is getting in on the act: ElevenLabs recently debuted its first-ever audiobook, a version of “The Odyssey” narrated by the AI-replicated voice of Sir Michael Caine. And as with any big movie, there's controversy, this time over Nolan’s artistic and casting choices.

Here’s your cheat sheet to what could be one of the biggest movies of the season.

What is “The Odyssey” about? Credited to the Greek writer Homer, “The Odyssey” follows the lost King Odysseus of Ithaca (played by Matt Damon) as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Gods, men and other creatures bedevil or befriend him, while at home his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), staves off dozens of menacing suitors. Out of desperation, his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), sets sail to find him.

Why is the book important? Along with its companion piece, “The Iliad,” it’s one of the very first works of Western literature, according to Joshua Cabat, former director of English teacher education at Stony Brook University. It has influenced writers from Virgil to James Joyce, inspired the famous Sperlonga sculptures found at Emperor Tiberius’ villa and even served as the basis for the Coen Brothers’ acclaimed comedy “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” It has also trickled into other facets of life: Robert F. Kennedy graced his speeches with a stirring line -- "Come, my friends, 'tis not too late to seek a newer world” – from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s 1842 poem “Ulysses,” a poignant sequel to the ancient tale. “This stuff is all over the culture,” Cabat said.

Who’s in the movie? Aside from Damon, Hathaway and Holland, “The Odyssey” features Zendaya as the goddess Athena, Robert Pattison as one of Penelope’s suitors, Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso and Benny Safdie as King Agamemnon. The casting of a Black actress, Lupita Nyong’o, in the dual roles of Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy has sparked some online outrage: Helen is often depicted as light-skinned in paintings and ancient art. It’s worth noting, however, that Helen is a mythical figure whose father is Zeus.

Why did Nolan want to adapt the book? “It’s not something I ever sat down and read,” the director admitted, according to The New York Times. But he was apparently intrigued that such a famous work has gone largely ignored by Hollywood. ("Ulysses," a Kirk Douglas vehicle from 1954, is one of the only previous major-studio adaptions; "Troy," starring Brad Pitt, was based on "The Iliad.") “I was looking for a gap in the culture,” Nolan told the Times. "Why hasn’t it become part of modern cinema? That’s very exciting as a filmmaker.”

Why does the dialogue sound American? Traditionally, actors in historical epics have spoken formal English with a British accent, a form that has been wryly called The Queen’s Latin. (Many older films employed the so-called Transatlantic accent, a British-American blend invented in the early 20th century.) Nolan, however, reportedly required American accents of his actors, even the British ones. In the trailer, they can be heard using a couple of colloquialisms: Telemachus refers to “my dad,” while Odysseus shouts “Let’s go!” to his army. Nolan hasn’t explained his thinking publicly, but he has mentioned Emily Wilson’s updated translation of “The Odyssey,” widely praised for its unfussy language.

Homer’s poem “was composed to be understood by a contemporary audience,” according to Mike Walsh, a Manhattan-based dialect coach with a background in classics. “Most likely, Telemachus would say ‘my dad,’ rather than ‘my father.’” Nolan’s choice, he added, “says we’re taking a step away from the lofty, and trying to get the story down to its bare parts.”

How much money will this movie make? Following his “Dark Knight” trilogy, his brainy sci-film “Interstellar” and his Oscar-winning biopic “Oppenheimer,” Nolan has become not just a household name but a brand. For any other director, spending a reported $250 million on a swords-and-sandals story would be impossible, according to Gross of FranchiseRE. “He may be the only one on the planet who could make this movie and attract that cast,” Gross said. “The Odyssey” could open as high as $100 million, he added, and eventually “could be a billion-dollar movie.”

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com