Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, releasing on July 17, 2026, brings together one of the largest casts of Nolan’s career. Among the film’s central figures is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, whose story unfolds in Ithaca while his father remains missing after the Trojan War.
Tom Holland plays Telemachus in The Odyssey. The character is the prince of Ithaca and the son of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) and Queen Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway).
When the story begins, Telemachus has grown up without his father, who left for Troy when he was an infant. His role centers on protecting his mother and their household as powerful suitors compete for Penelope’s hand and assume Odysseus will never return. Telemachus becomes one of the film’s emotional anchors because his search for his father runs parallel to Odysseus’ struggle to return home.
Telemachus’s Journey Begins With Athena’s Intervention
In Homer’s epic, Telemachus starts as a young prince living under constant pressure from the suitors occupying his home. They consume the family’s wealth and challenge his authority while waiting for Penelope to choose a new husband.
Nolan’s adaptation follows the same foundation. Telemachus is not presented as a seasoned warrior at first but as someone forced to grow into responsibility while Ithaca remains politically unstable. His decisions become increasingly important as the absence of Odysseus creates uncertainty over the kingdom’s future.
His story changes when Athena intervenes. Disguised among the people of Ithaca, the goddess urges him to leave the island and search for information about Odysseus, turning Telemachus from a passive heir into an active participant in the larger story.
His journey takes him beyond Ithaca in search of leaders who fought alongside his father, allowing him to gather information about Odysseus while developing the confidence expected of the future king.
Tom Holland Shares Scenes With Zendaya’s Athena
Athena is played by Zendaya in the film. Her scenes with Holland reunite the two actors on screen for the first time since their collaborations in the Spider-Man films.
Within the story, Athena serves as Telemachus’ guide and motivator rather than a romantic counterpart. She pushes him to seek the truth about his father’s fate, encourages him to stand against the suitors, and prepares him for the responsibilities waiting in Ithaca.
The relationship is significant because Athena’s guidance marks the beginning of Telemachus transformation. While Odysseus faces monsters, gods, and dangerous seas, Telemachus confronts political pressure at home, with both journeys eventually moving toward the same destination.
Tom Holland On Filming ‘The Odyssey’
During the film’s press tour, Holland described the unusual demands of working on Nolan’s production. The Odyssey became the first feature film shot entirely on 15/70mm IMAX cameras.
Holland admitted he was initially confused when Christopher Nolan called “cut” only a few minutes into a scene, believing the interruption was related to his performance. He later learned that the pause was a technical necessity because the 15/70mm IMAX film magazines hold only about three minutes of footage before they must be replaced.
According to Holland, the camera crew handled each reload with the speed and precision of a Formula 1 pit crew, allowing filming to continue with minimal disruption to the actors’ performances.
He also spoke about the scale of the practical production in Morocco. Holland revealed that walking onto the set felt like stepping into another era because the production used large physical boats, hundreds of horses, thousands of extras in period costume, and extensive real-world locations, rather than relying heavily on digital environments.
Holland said the experience felt less like visiting a film set and more like witnessing history, giving him a clearer sense of the world Telemachus inhabits throughout The Odyssey.