The Odyssey: book vs. movie

The film and TV versions

• The Odyssey (2026)

  FilmRated RMostly faithful

  Christopher Nolan’s huge epic, with Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena.

  For families: Rated R for violence and some language, and nearly three hours long. Not for 6–9 year olds; save it for older teens.

• The Return (2024)

  FilmRated RLoosely based

  Ralph Fiennes plays an exhausted Odysseus coming home to Ithaca, with Juliette Binoche as Penelope. It covers only the homecoming and leaves out the gods and monsters.

  For families: Rated R for violence, language and nudity. A serious drama for adults, not for children.

• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

  FilmRated PG-13Modern retelling

  The Coen brothers’ comedy moves the story to 1930s Mississippi, with George Clooney as an escaped convict trying to get home to his wife.

  For families: Rated PG-13 for some violence and language. Funny and full of music, but for teens and adults rather than young children.

• The Odyssey (1997)

  TV seriesMostly faithful

  A two-part NBC miniseries directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, with Armand Assante as Odysseus, Greta Scacchi as Penelope and Isabella Rossellini as Athena.

  For families: Battles, the Cyclops and Scylla can be frightening, and there are some romantic scenes. Better for children 10 and up, watched with a grown-up.

• Ulysses 31 (1981)

  Animated seriesLoosely based

  A French and Japanese cartoon that moves Odysseus, called Ulysses, into outer space in the 31st century, where he must find his way home while angry gods block him.

  For families: Exciting science-fiction adventure with some spooky monsters. Fun for school-age children who like space stories.

• L’Odissea (1968)

  TV seriesVery close to the book

  An Italian TV series starring Bekim Fehmiu as Odysseus, famous in Europe for following Homer closely.

  For families: Slow and serious by today’s standards, with some frightening monster scenes. Best for older children and families who enjoy classic television.

• Ulysses (1954)

  FilmMostly faithful

  Kirk Douglas plays Odysseus in this colorful Hollywood adventure, with Silvana Mangano as both Penelope and the enchantress Circe.

  For families: Old-fashioned action with a scary Cyclops and some fighting. Older children who like classic films may enjoy it with a grown-up.

How the movies differ from the book

The story is told in order

Homer’s poem begins ten years after the war, with Telemachus at home, and Odysseus tells most of his adventures later as a flashback. The 1997 miniseries starts with Odysseus leaving for Troy and shows events in the order they happen.

The Trojan Horse on screen

In the poem, the wooden horse trick is only described by singers and old friends. The 1997 miniseries shows the Trojan Horse and the fall of Troy at the start.

Adventures shown, not told

In the poem, Odysseus describes the Cyclops, Circe and the Sirens while sitting at a king’s feast. The 1997 miniseries shows them happening, so we see them through the camera instead of through his words.

A shorter ending

The 1997 miniseries ends soon after the contest of the bow and the fight with the suitors. The poem goes on with Odysseus visiting his old father, Laertes, and with Athena making peace in Ithaca.

Is The Odyssey (2026) OK for kids?

No, not for young children. Christopher Nolan’s film is rated R for violence and some language and runs nearly three hours.

What is the best Odyssey movie for children?

There is no truly kid-friendly live-action film. For young children, a read-aloud retelling is best, and the space cartoon Ulysses 31 is a fun loose version.

Is O Brother, Where Art Thou? based on The Odyssey?

Yes, loosely. The Coen brothers’ 2000 comedy borrows the journey home, a one-eyed villain, singing sirens and a waiting wife, but sets them in 1930s Mississippi.

Is the Odyssey movie the same as the book?

None of the films match the poem exactly. Most tell the story in order, cut whole episodes and shorten the ending, and Homer’s gods are often shown very differently.