By Aimee McElreath, Volunteer
We’re only two months into the new year, but filmmakers have announced several audiovisual adaptations of books for 2026. From Suzanne Collins’ thrilling prequel to “The Hunger Games”, “Sunrise on the Reaping”, to the romantic “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, the audiovisual field promises a year of exciting adaptations, including Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
“The Odyssey” is a Greek epic, a story in a long poetic form that praises the accomplishments of a legendary hero. The legendary hero of “The Odyssey” is the titular Odysseus, who will be played by Matt Damon, who goes on a journey to reclaim his throne in Ithaca after being gone for years and presumed dead.
The film will feature other familiar faces, like Tom Holland as Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, Zendaya as the goddess, Athena, and Robert Pattinson as Antinous, one of the suitors of Odysseus’s wife.
Amanda Wetherington, a junior majoring in Religious Studies and English at Saint Leo, stated, “I thought that the plot was so exciting.”
“Given that it’s an all-star cast, hopefully there will be a lot of effort put into the movie,” shared Wetherington.
When talking about books and their audiovisual adaptations, one question that comes up is, “Which is better: book or movie?” Some argue that the book is more impactful, while others claim that the adaptation is more entertaining. Amanda takes the side of books, explaining that books allow readers to have “the creative freedom of imagining” what the people, places, and more look like, whereas the movie does not.
“I am always a book person,” added Wetherington.
However, she looks forward to “The Odyssey’s” film adaptation.
The people around us often influence what we consume, including books. Amanda reflected that her mother introduced her to reading books through “Nancy Drew,” the children’s book series about the titular young detective.
Our education can motivate us to read, even when we may not expect it. School also influenced what Amanda read, including “The Odyssey.”
“I read a lot of classics… those are brought up in school a lot, but I end up enjoying them,” she noted.
Book-to-audiovisual adaptations remind us of the literature we love and why we love it. They not only excite existing fans but also introduce newcomers to the material and spark discussion of ideas from the original piece.
The same goes for this year’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.” Whether you watch it for the all-star cast or because you are curious to see what Greek mythology has to offer, you will encounter “The Odyssey” in a way you have never seen before. Happy watching!
