Cillian Murphy admitted he’s relieved to be missing out on Chritopher Nolan’sThe Odyssey.
The cinematic dynamic duo have worked together across six films, including Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Dunkirk, Inception and Oppenheimer, which earned them both an Academy Award in 2023.
Murphy, though, will not be joining Nolan for his latest epic, an adaptation of Homer’s poem starring Matt Damon in the lead role.
Interviewed alongside the team behind Steve, Murphy’s latest project, the actor was asked by Variety if he had any “fear of missing out” on The Odyssey. Replying with a tongue-in-cheek answer, Murphy said: “Is there a trailer? I have ROMO: ‘Relief of missing out’.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Murphy added. “If any director in the world could tackle The Odyssey, it’s going to be Christopher Nolan.
“I am so excited to see it. He is one in a million,” Murphy added. “He’s been a huge part of my life as an actor. I can’t wait to see what he does with it.”
Packed with an A-list cast, the adaptation of Homer’s epic poem features Damon as Odysseus, as he embarks of a perilous journey home from the Trojan War.
The film also includes appearances from the likes of Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Bennie Safdie, Elliot Page and Tom Holland, who called Nolan’s screenplay the best he’d ever read.
Murphy’s next film, Steve, adapted from Max Porter’s 2023 novel Shy, recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the film, Murphy portrays a headteacher at a reform school balancing teaching his students and caring for his mental health.
In a four-star review, The Independent ‘s Clarisse Loughrey called the film “A thoughtful, impassioned film in practice. Yet it’s deliberately made itself secondary to its source material.”
Additionally, Murphy has been busy producing and starring in films related to his previous work, such as Peaky Blinders’ film follow-up, The Immortal Man.
While Murphy has kept his lips locked on any details of the role, the show’s creator, Steven Knight said in an interview with The Independent that “What fans can expect is something completely phenomenal.”
“We’ve got the best actors and the best cast you could possibly get in one place.”
While there is no confirmed premiere date for Knight’s The Immortal Man, Nolan’s The Odyssey will have its cinematic release on 17 July 2026.
