Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is in cinemas on July 17. Matt Damon plays Odysseus. Zendaya plays Athena. Anne Hathaway is Penelope. Charlize Theron is Calypso. The cast also includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o. It was shot entirely on IMAX film across Greece, Sicily, Morocco, Scotland and Iceland. It is going to be everywhere.
But the reason this story has endured for three thousand years, from Homer's original poem to school reading lists, to every retelling since, is not its scale. It is the characters. And for girls in particular, it is three of them. Circe, Athena, and Penelope. Each one represents something they recognise immediately, even if they could not always say exactly why.
Circe, the one who had to figure it out herself
Circe has endured because every generation finds something different in her. In Homer's The Odyssey, she is introduced as a powerful and mysterious sorceress living alone on the island of Aeaea. Homer tells us very little about how she became that woman. Modern writers, most famously Madeline Miller in her bestselling novel Circe, have imagined the story that came before.
In Miller's retelling, Circe grows up feeling different. She is overlooked by the gods around her, struggles to find where she belongs and slowly discovers her own strength through curiosity, persistence and years of learning. Instead of accepting the place the world gives her, she creates one of her own.
That is the version of Circe many girls and young women recognise today. Not because of the magic or the mythology, but because she represents the experience of not fitting the category the world has prepared for you, and finding the confidence to build your own path instead.
Athena, the one who always knew
Athena is the opposite. Goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare and crafts such as weaving. She does not discover her power gradually. She is born fully formed, already certain, already decided. In Homer's poem, she is Odysseus's patron and protector, the intelligence behind his survival. She is strategic, sometimes ruthless, always precise. She does not waste time on doubt.
Zendaya plays her in the film in simple white robes, described as having a cold, distant expression. That is exactly right. Athena is not warm. She is clear. There is a specific kind of power in knowing exactly who you are and what you want and moving through the world accordingly.
Circe and Athena represent two very different kinds of female power. Athena embodies certainty from the beginning, while modern retellings portray Circe as someone who gradually grows into her strength through experience and resilience. Together, they offer two compelling models of what confidence can look like.
Penelope, the one everyone underestimates
It is worth mentioning Penelope, because she tends to reveal something about the reader. Most people, when they first encounter the Odyssey, read her as passive, waiting at home for twenty years while her husband has the adventures.
Many readers notice something different when they return to the story.
Penelope is running a kingdom alone for twenty years, surrounded by men who want to take it from her, with a son still growing up and a husband who may or may not be coming back. She unpicks her weaving each night to delay the suitors. She is not waiting. She is managing an extremely difficult situation with extraordinary precision and almost no resources.
In promotional images for Nolan's film, Anne Hathaway is shown in a deep navy gown holding a golden bow. That image makes sense. Penelope was always the one holding everything together.
What the film is going to look like
Nolan shot the entire film on specially developed IMAX 70 mm film cameras, making it the first feature film to be filmed entirely in this format. The locations include Sicily, Morocco, Scotland, Iceland and Greece. The budget is reported to be around $250 million. It is designed to be seen on the largest screen possible.
The female characters have been given genuine weight. Zendaya's Athena in white robes on a ship. Anne Hathaway's Penelope with her bow. Charlize Theron as Calypso. Lupita Nyong'o playing both Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy. These are not background roles. One enduring reading of The Odyssey is that, beneath Odysseus's adventures, it is also a story about the women who keep families, kingdoms and memory alive.
The connection we, at Maévie, kept thinking about
It is this modern interpretation of Circe that stayed with us at Maévie. The idea that sometimes the world has not made a category for you, and you have to build one yourself. When you do not fit the section you are supposed to be in, when the options available were not designed with you in mind, and when you have to build something for yourself.
That is a very specific experience. And it is one that a significant number of girls, teenage girls and young women navigate in a much more ordinary context, going shopping and finding that the options exist, just not in their size, not designed for their life.
That gap is what Maévie was built to close. With footwear designed specifically for teenage girls and young women whose size is not stocked in most brands. The brand starts where the options stop.
It is easy to see why so many readers find that version of Circe so enduring.
The Odyssey is in cinemas July 17. If you have not read Homer's original poem, there are excellent shorter versions written for any readers; it is well worth knowing the story before you see the film. For more on the stories that shape how teenage girls think about identity and style, see our post on films that shaped teen fashion.
FAQs
Q When does The Odyssey 2026 come out?
A Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey releases in cinemas and IMAX on July 17, 2026. The cast includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Zendaya as Athena, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o and Charlize Theron as Calypso. It is the first feature film to be shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film.
Q Who does Zendaya play in The Odyssey?
A Zendaya plays Athena, goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare and crafts, in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Athena is the patron of Odysseus in Homer's original poem, the strategic intelligence behind his survival. She has been photographed on set in simple white robes.
Q Why do teenage girls love Circe from the Odyssey?
A Many readers connect with Circe because modern retellings, particularly Madeline Miller's bestselling novel Circe, imagine her as someone who has to find her own place in a world where she doesn't quite belong. That journey of becoming resonates strongly with many teenagers and young women, even though Homer's original poem introduces her as an already powerful sorceress.
Q What is the difference between Circe and Athena in the Odyssey?
A Athena represents wisdom, strategy and confidence from the outset. Modern retellings often portray Circe as someone who gradually grows into her strength through experience and perseverance. Together, they offer two very different but equally compelling models of female power.
Q Should I read the Odyssey before seeing the 2026 film?
A Yes, if you can. The original poem is long, but the core story is fast and gripping once you are in it. There are also excellent shorter versions written for any readers that cover the key characters and story without the full length of Homer's text. Either gives you enough to appreciate what Nolan is doing with the material.
Q What is Maévie, and what does it have to do with the Odyssey?
A Maévie is a footwear brand built for teenage girls and young women whose size is not stocked in most brands. The connection is inspired by the modern interpretation of Circe's story: what it means to build something for yourself when the world has not made a category for you. We start where the options stop.