Christopher Nolan ropes in Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo for ‘The Odyssey’

Filmmaker-actor Benny Safdie, known best for co-directing Adam Sandler-starrer ‘Uncut Gems’, and Golden Globe nominee John Leguizamo, best known for voicing Sid the Sloth, in the ‘Ice Age’ film series will join the long list of actors cast in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

safdie-leguizamo - 1

Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal. And now, Benny Safdie and John Leguizamo. Much like his previous directorial Oppenheimer, it doesn’t look like director Christopher Nolan has stopped roping in stars for his next venture.

Safdie and Leguizamo are the latest additions to The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s classic epic poem of the same name. Safdie is a filmmaker-actor, best known for his film Uncut Gems that he co-directed with his brother, Josh. He has acted in Licorice Pizza, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and in addition, played theoretical physicist Edward Teller in Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Leguizamo is an Emmy award-winning comedian and a Golden Globe nominee for his role in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). He is best known for voicing Sid the Sloth, in the Ice Age film series and has also appeared in The Menu, Encanto, the John Wick series, Chef, and many more. The Odyssey will be his first collaboration with Nolan.

About The Odyssey

After his Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, Nolan will now take on the challenge of adapting Homer’s 8th-century BCE poem The Odyssey. Like his previous directorial, The Odyssey will also be shot for the IMAX screen.

While the 54-year-old director will create the screenplay for the film, his wife Emma Thomas will bankroll the production under the Syncopy banner, founded by the couple.

Backed by Universal Studios, filming is set to begin in early 2025 in Sicily, with an IMAX release planned for July 17, 2026.

Nolan, as a director, is known for taking genres like science-fiction, war, crime, and action and blending them with mind-bending twists. Known for directing The Dark Knight trilogy, his filmography also includes Inception, The Prestige, Tenet, Dunkirk and many more.

Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp