And it's a high-minded literary adaptation with a lot of star power directed by the man who helmed Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2023.
Now, Variety has learned that Universal will campaign to secure Anne Hathaway a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Incidentally, two performers from the same film being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category is the most common two-nominee combination in Oscar acting history.
Samantha Morton has never won an Oscar but has been nominated twice: for Best Supporting Actress for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and for Best Actress for In America (2002).
Hathaway was nominated for Best Actress for Rachel Getting Married (2008) and for Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables (2012).
The Odyssey opened in theaters in July 2026 and immediately became a major box office hit; as of this writing, it's earned $1.72 billion worldwide. That makes it the highest-grossing film in the history of Universal, the highest-grossing film from director Christopher Nolan, and the eleventh highest-grossing film of all time. Before its run is over, it may well break into the top 10.
In addition to the financial success, The Odyssey has received spectacular reviews. And it's a high-minded literary adaptation with a lot of star power directed by the man who helmed Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2023. All of this makes The Odyssey a favorite going into the 2027 Oscars, where it's expected to be nominated for many awards across lots of categories.
On the acting side of things, Matt Damon has a good chance of being nominated in the Best Actor category for his role as Odysseus. Now, Variety has learned that Universal will campaign to secure Anne Hathaway a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Universal Pictures
Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus' long-suffering wife who rules Ithaca during his years away fighting in the Trojan War. If Hathaway does secure a nomination, it will likely be alongside her Odyssey costar Samantha Morton, who has received widespread acclaim for her performance as the witch Circe.
That means that Matt Damon will likely be the only actor from The Odyssey with a chance to be nominated outside the 'Supporting' categories. Actors like Tom Holland (Telemachus), Robert Pattinson (Antinous), and John Leguizamo (Eumaeus) have all gotten buzz for their performances in The Odyssey and could show up in the Best Supporting Actor category, but Hathaway and Morton seem like locks for Best Supporting Actress nominations. It's early yet, but other potential nominees include Olivia Wilde (for the upcoming Behemoth!) and Penelope Cruz (for The Invite or the upcoming La bola negra).
Incidentally, two performers from the same film being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category is the most common two-nominee combination in Oscar acting history. Samantha Morton has never won an Oscar but has been nominated twice: for Best Supporting Actress for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and for Best Actress for In America (2002). Hathaway was nominated for Best Actress for Rachel Getting Married (2008) and for Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables (2012). She won the latter.
If Hathaway wins for The Odyssey, she will become the third woman in history to win two Oscars for Best Supporting Actress, after Dianne Wiest (for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway) and Shelley Winters (for The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue). It would also cap off a remarkable year for Hathaway. She opened 2026 by playing a pop star in Mother Mary, returned to the role of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2 in May, starred in The Odyssey in July, and headlined the adventure film The End of Oak Street in August. She'll appear in the thriller Verity on October 2.
The Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 21, 2027. The actual ceremony will take place on March 14.
