First Listen Featurette: Ludwig Göransson’s Score for ‘The Odyssey’

by Alex Billington
June 11, 2026
Source: YouTube

“There’s real intimacy and real humanity in the soundtrack.” Universal has unveiled a behind-the-scenes featurette for The Odyssey, this time introducing us to some of the first sounds from the score for the epic ancient Greek adventure. The 3 minute video shows composer Ludwig Göransson working on creating the score with a few other musicians. I won’t be surprised if he wins another Oscar for this just like he did with Oppenheimer. He explains that Chris Nolan asked him to highlight two specific Greek instruments: the aulos and lyre. Nolan’s take on Homer’s iconic ancient Greek poem, The Odyssey is a mythic action thriller shot across the world – the entire film is shot on IMAX film cameras bringing this foundational saga to life grander than ever. The epic story follows Odysseus in his perilous, long journey home after the Trojan War, encountering Polyphemus, the Sirens, Circe, and eventually with his reunion with his wife, Penelope, on the island Ithaca. The movie stars Matt Damon as our hero Odysseus + a huge ensemble cast including Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, & many others. I’m so excited to watch this movie on an IMAX screen, but just as excited to hear this next unique aural creation from Göransson. Only one month left to go now…

Here’s the “In Studio” score featurette for Christopher Nolan’s epic movie The Odyssey, from YouTube:

You can view the stunning first trailer for Nolan’s The Odyssey movie right here and the second trailer here.

The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Depicting encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in his long-awaited reunion with his wife, Penelope. The Odyssey is directed by the acclaimed, Oscar-winning British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, director of the movies Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer previously. The screenplay is also by Christopher Nolan, adapted from the iconic ancient Greek epic poem Odyssey attributed to Homer. With cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, and music composed by Ludwig Göransson. It’s produced by Emma Thomas & Christopher Nolan through their own company Syncopy. Universal Pictures will release Nolan’s The Odyssey in theaters worldwide starting on July 17th, 2026 this summer. Who’s ready to watch now?

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