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The last time the sword-and-sandal epic truly conquered the Oscars, Russell Crowe stood in the Colosseum and asked, “Are you not entertained?”
Ridley Scott’s 2001 blockbuster “Gladiator” won best picture that season,
briefly reminding Hollywood that ancient-world spectacle could still capture the Academy’s imagination. Since then, the genre has largely retreated to the multiplex, where toga-clad warriors and mythological heroes have been treated as summer entertainment rather than awards-season contenders.
But Hollywood has a long history of embracing the sword-and-sandal epic when the scale is matched by prestige.
Before “Gladiator,” William Wyler’s “Ben-Hur” dominated the 1959 Oscars, winning 11 awards — a record at the time — including best picture, director and actor for Charlton Heston. Earlier biblical and historical epics such as “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and “Spartacus” (1960) demonstrated that spectacle could become a path to Oscar glory when paired with strong storytelling and cultural impact. Even Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), though rooted in fantasy rather than ancient history, proved that a massive mythological adventure could become an awards-season phenomenon, sweeping the ceremony.
Now, Universal Pictures hopes for another genre revival with Christopher Nolan’s newest cinematic endeavor.
“The Odyssey,” Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic, has arrived to a wave of critical love, sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89 on Metacritic. It represents the rare summer tentpole with awards ambitions built into its foundation. It pairs one of Hollywood’s most ambitious filmmakers with source material that has shaped Western storytelling for nearly three millennia, sprinkled with an ensemble stacked with some of the biggest stars on the planet and a technical approach designed to make the theatrical experience itself part of the conversation; you have to recognize the birth of a viable Oscar contender.
Interestingly, it also arrives at the perfect moment for Nolan.
Fresh off “Oppenheimer” (2024), which delivered him his first best director Oscar and a best picture victory (which he shared with his wife and longtime producing partner Emma Thomas) after decades as one of the industry’s most celebrated yet repeatedly overlooked filmmakers, Nolan enters his next campaign with unprecedented Academy goodwill.
If anyone can convince voters that a three-hour epic about ancient mythology belongs in the best picture conversation, it is the filmmaker who proved that a dense, dialogue-heavy drama about the creation of the atomic bomb (and one that never even shows the bomb fall) could become a global phenomenon.
From a craft perspective, Nolan’s awards case is tailor-made for the Academy: The filmmaker who has spent his career defending the theatrical experience adapts one of literature’s foundational myths on an enormous scale. In many ways, it also serves as his finest screenwriting effort since “The Prestige” (2006), making interesting and thought-provoking changes from the original text (and no, that isn’t simply casting Lupita Nyong’o).
The narrative for him this season will be simple: rinse and repeat the last one.
Nolan takes the oldest adventure story in Western literature and gives it the full prestige treatment. And then inside it, Matt Damon, an Oscar winner for screenwriting but never a statue for his acting, is at the forefront. Aside from “Good Will Hunting” (1997) and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999), the latter of which did not even earn him a nom, he has never made a stronger case for his acting to be recognized on the big stage.
“The Odyssey” marks Damon’s first leading role for Nolan after supporting turns in “Interstellar” and “Oppenheimer.” He carries the film as Odysseus, a legendary warrior defined less by triumph than by exhaustion, loss and the consequences of survival. His take on the legendary king of Ithaca is complex, physically visceral and dynamically charged. With festivals and early releases already making viable cases for Jaafar Jackson (“Michael”), Ryan Gosling (“Project Hail Mary”), Sebastian Stan (“Fjord”) and John Turturro (“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York”) — and with anticipated work still to come from Tom Cruise (“Digger”), Andrew Scott (“Elsinore”), Pedro Pascal (“Behemoth!”), John Malkovich (“Wild Horse Nine”) and Timothée Chalamet (“Dune: Part Three”) — the best actor race is sure to be a blood-filled sprint to the finish.
(Good. It should always be that way.)
Damon has garnered five total Oscar nominations across several categories: “Good Will Hunting” in best actor and original screenplay, “Invictus” (2009) in supporting actor, “The Martian” (2015) in best actor and “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) in best picture as a producer. He won for writing “Good Will Hunting” with his best friend, Ben Affleck.
The Academy could feel he is due for another trip to the stage.
Now comes the hard part. Which supporting players can, will and should enter their respective categories?
If social media and the early reviews are any indication, there is no consensus favorite among supporting actors or actresses, with the possible exception of Samantha Morton.
A two-time Oscar nominee for “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999) and “In America” (2003), the British veteran steals the movie as Circe, the witch of the island of Aeaea, who commands less than 10 minutes of screen time midway through the film but may be the easiest call voters have to make. Think Judd Hirsch’s one-scene wonder in “The Fabelmans” (2022), which landed him a supporting actor nomination.
It is, yet again, another one-scene wonder from Morton. This move seems to have become her signature contribution lately. She turned brief, pointed appearances into standouts in films like the #MeToo drama “She Said” and as Mary, the estranged ex-wife of Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-winning lead in “The Whale,” both in 2022. Perhaps this is the one that earns her a return to the ceremony, and it could be worthy enough to win, depending on how the race shakes out.
On paper, there are others worth considering, and that is exactly what will make orchestrating the campaign so difficult.
Take Robert Pattinson, who is having a stacked year with the early A24 hit “The Drama,” the still-to-be-released “Primetime” (in which he portrays TV journalist Chris Hansen) and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three.” As Antinous, one of the suitors competing for Penelope’s attention, Pattinson has the type of role Oscar voters traditionally embrace: A memorable antagonist, full of theatricality and danger, that lets an actor steal focus without carrying the emotional burden of the entire film.
Pattinson’s suave villain feels cut from the same cloth as Alan Rickman’s scene-stealing Sheriff of Nottingham in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991). The loudest role is often the easiest to coalesce around, especially for an actor who has had a big year. Look at Brad Pitt getting in for “Moneyball” the same year as “The Tree of Life,” or Jessica Chastain getting in for “The Help” when she had a half-dozen other performances to choose from.
The villain, or even the most unlikable character, can also be easy Oscar fodder, following nominees from large sprawling ensembles like Matt Dillon in “Crash” (2005) and Josh Brolin in “Milk” (2008). Sometimes it is simply an industry sentiment that says, “It’s their time.” Look at Sacha Baron Cohen from “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020) or Delroy Lindo from “Sinners” (2025).
That veteran sentiment is what I think could build a rallying cry around Latino legend John Leguizamo and his deeply moving turn as Eumaeus, Odysseus’ faithful and blind swineherd. Despite an illustrious career spanning his acclaimed solo special “Freak” and memorable film roles in classics like “Carlito’s Way” (1993) and “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), Academy recognition has eluded him. The closest he has come is his unforgettable turn as drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” (1995), which earned him a Golden Globe nom for supporting actor. I believe this could finally be his time.
Elsewhere, it is a wait-and-see game for who can surprise as the season unfolds. Himesh Patel, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron all drew their share of shout-outs in early reactions. Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Corey Hawkins and Benny Safdie are not in it enough. Still, ultimately, it will come down to who the Academy chooses to rally around.
It is also worth noting that aside from the three acting nominations for “Oppenheimer,” which produced two wins (Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.), and Heath Ledger’s posthumous Joker in “The Dark Knight” (2008), acting nominations for Nolan films have been scarce even when critics and audiences believed they are deserved (see Guy Pearce in “Memento,” Leonardo DiCaprio in “Inception,” Matthew McConaughey in “Interstellar,” among others).
Yet the inevitable Oscar campaign could carry a fact worth considering.
Nolan assumed the presidency of the Directors Guild of America in September 2025. He had already won the guild’s feature-directing prize for “Oppenheimer” in 2024, the same season he took his best director Oscar. The guild’s line of presidents stretches back to King Vidor, who opened the run with the newly formed Screen Directors Guild in 1936. Although the guild’s first honor was an Honorary Life Membership given to D.W. Griffith in 1938, the modern DGA Award began in 1948, with Joseph L. Mankiewicz taking the inaugural feature prize for “A Letter to Three Wives” and repeating the win at the 22nd Academy Awards. The DGA Award for feature directing carries the single best track record of any guild prize at forecasting the Oscars, both for best director and, by extension, best picture.
Nolan is, inarguably, the most famous president the guild has ever had, and he holds the post at the peak of his career. And while legends and Oscar winners like George Stevens, Robert Wise, Frank Capra and the aforementioned Mankiewicz all held the office, none of them mounted an Oscar campaign in the middle of their tenure.
From a purely optics standpoint, how will the industry feel if Nolan wins the DGA Award while sitting in the guild’s highest office? That is not to allege a conflict of interest. It is simply a dynamic worth considering. Does the presidency help or hurt him?
The optimistic interpretation is that Nolan’s visibility among directors has never been higher, and that his leadership role only strengthens his relationship with the very voters who determine the DGA winner. A filmmaker at the height of his influence, delivering the year’s most ambitious cinematic achievement, could become an irresistible narrative.
The counterargument is that award bodies can be cautious about appearing to reward their own “king.” The “overdue” factor that so often fuels guild victories has already been satisfied by Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” breakthrough.
There is little modern precedent to guide voters. Directors such as Frank Capra and Joseph L. Mankiewicz held leadership roles within the guild while continuing to make acclaimed films. Still, the modern DGA Award era presents a different landscape, and a far more media-savvy one.
Whatever happens at the guild will likely reverberate throughout the Oscar race.
Beneath the spectacle sits one of the most intriguing questions that has already popped up online: can Nolan tie or break the all-time Oscar nomination record set by Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” last year, which picked up 16 nominations?
“The Odyssey” is a top-to-bottom artisan contender in nearly every craft category, which this time includes, for the first time in a Nolan film, an original song. Rapper Travis Scott, who also has a brief role in the film, recorded “When I’m Home,” the end-credits anthem, which features production and vocals from James Blake and Ludwig Göransson, with Nolan himself reportedly helping write the lyrics. Along with the casting award introduced last year, this brings 10 categories into play before the acting races even begin. Add what many expect to be a triple bid for Nolan in picture, director and adapted screenplay, and the tally reaches 13.
From there, it comes down to the actors.
Damon is the safest bet, and a nomination for him would push the total to 14, tying the former all-time record shared by “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land.” Beyond that, the supporting races are where records would fall. A double dip in one supporting category would move the film past that mark, and a double dip in both — five acting nominations in all — is the scenario that would challenge the “Sinners” record outright.
For reference, only nine films have ever received five acting nominations: “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “All About Eve” (1950), “From Here to Eternity” (1953), “On the Waterfront” (1954), “Peyton Place” (1957), “Tom Jones” (1963), “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “Network” (1976).
Even last year’s best picture juggernaut, “One Battle After Another” from Paul Thomas Anderson — which many expected to land five acting nominations — dropped one on nomination morning (lead actress hopeful Chase Infiniti).
“The Odyssey” does not have an obvious lead actress, unless Hathaway, who has five films this year, mounts a surprise lead submission. That leaves very little wiggle room for error. Heavy, male-dominated ensembles have pulled off strong showings before. “The Godfather” (1972) landed best actor winner Marlon Brando, plus a supporting-actor trifecta of James Caan, Robert Duvall and Al Pacino. Its sequel, “The Godfather Part II” (1974), did it again with three supporting bids, Robert De Niro (the winner), Michael V. Gazzo and Lee Strasberg, alongside best actor nominee Al Pacino.
In this scenario, “The Odyssey” will undoubtedly be the one film everyone agrees on.
Consider, too, that only two films have ever picked up double nominations in both supporting categories: “Peyton Place” (1957) and “The Last Picture Show” (1971). Neither carried a best actor or actress nominee alongside that haul.
Can it happen? Sure. But important for awards enthusiasts to remember… It’s July. And that is early for declarations that “it’s over” and “it’s breaking records.”
In addition, this could be an awards season with many populist titles vying for recognition, and the one most likely to feed from the same voter demographic is Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming sci-fi “Dune: Part Three.”
The central question surrounding “The Odyssey” is not whether Nolan can create spectacle. He’s done that. It’s whether he can make the Academy revisit the same well they drank from so overwhelmingly only two years ago. The last two-time directing winner to also win best picture twice was Clint Eastwood with “Unforgiven” (1992) and “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) — a 12-year gap. And before that was Miloš Forman with “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Amadeus” (1984) — a nine-year gap. Ten of the 21 filmmakers who have won best director more than once had their films also win best picture.
If “The Odyssey” becomes the next great Oscar epic, it could carry Damon, one (or two) of its supporting players and Nolan himself into another awards-season triumph. And it could remind Hollywood of something Maximus already knew: the epic still has the power to entertain.
Upcoming fall movies… it’s your move, now.
See all Academy Awards predictions
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
Oscars Predictions Tracking
(July 17, 2026)
Best Picture
“The Debut” (A24)
“Digger” (Warner Bros.)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“Fjord” (Neon)
“I Play Rocky” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Director
Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, “La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Jesse Eisenberg, “The Debut” (A24)
Martin McDonagh, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
Actor
Tom Cruise, “Digger” (Warner Bros.)
Matt Damon, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Ryan Gosling, “Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
John Malkovich, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Andrew Scott, “Elisnore” (Focus Features)
Actress
Sandra Hüller, “Fatherland” (Mubi)
Julianne Moore, “The Debut” (A24)
Inde Navarette, “Obsession” (Focus Features)
Renate Reinsve, “Fjord” (Neon)
Léa Seydoux, “Gentle Monster” (Netflix)
Supporting Actor
Colman Domingo, “Michael” (Lionsgate)
Paul Giamatti, “The Debut” (A24)
John Leguizamo, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Sam Rockwell, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Jeremy Strong, “The Social Reckoning” (Sony Pictures)
Supporting Actress
Gemma Chan, “Josephine” (Sumerian Pictures)
Penélope Cruz, “The Invite” (A24)
Penélope Cruz, “La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Mariana di Girolamo, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Samantha Morton, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Original Screenplay
“The Debut” (A24) — Jesse Eisenberg
“Fjord” (Neon) — Cristian Mungiu
“Josephine” (Sumerian Pictures) — Beth de Araújo
“Werwulf” (Focus Features) — Robert Eggers and Sjón
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures) — Martin McDonagh
Adapted Screenplay
“Clarissa” (Neon) — Chuko Esiri
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) — Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve
“The Invite” (A24) — Rashida Jones and Will McCormack
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) — Christopher Nolan
“Wildwood” (Laika) — Chris Butler
Casting
“Being Heumann” (Apple Original Films)
“Clarissa” (Neon)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“I Play Rocky” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Animated Feature
“Forgotten Island” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Ray Gunn” (Netflix)
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” (GKids)
“Toy Story 5” (Pixar)
“Wildwood” (Laika)
Production Design
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Untitled David Fincher/Cliff Booth Movie” (Netflix)
“Werwulf” (Focus Features)
Cinematography
“Digger” (Warner Bros.)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Werwulf” (Focus Features)
Costume Design
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
“I Love Boosters” (Neon)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“Werwulf” (Focus Features)
Film Editing
“The Debut” (A24)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Makeup and Hairstyling
“Digger” (Warner Bros.)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“I Play Rocky” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“Tenzing” (Apple Original Films)
Sound
“The Debut” (A24)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“The Mosquito Bowl” (Netflix)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Visual Effects
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“Godzilla Minus Zero” (Toho)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (Sony Pictures)
Original Score
“The Debut” (A24)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Wildwood” (Laika)
Original Song
“By Any Means” (Paramount Pictures)
“The Debut” (A24)
“Forgotten Island” (DreamWorks Animation) — “A Parallel World”
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) — “When I’m Home”
“Toy Story 5” (Pixar) — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
Documentary Feature
“American Doctor” (Watermelon Pictures)
“The History of Concrete” (Magnolia Pictures)
“Musk” (Bleecker Street)
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Neon)
“One in a Million” (PBS Documentary Films)
International Feature
“All of a Sudden” from Japan (Neon)
“Fatherland” from Germany (Mubi)
“Fjord” from Romania (Neon)
“La Bola Negra” from Spain (Netflix)
“Minotaur” from Russia (Mubi)
See all Academy Awards predictions
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
