EXCLUSIVE: Corey Hawkins (The Piano Lesson) has been tapped for a role in The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the epic poem from Homer for Universal Pictures, sources tell Deadline.
Details as to the part he’s playing are under wraps, as they were for Mia Goth, who was announced as joining the cast earlier this afternoon. As previously announced, the stacked cast also includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia and Will Yun Lee.
The Odyssey is the story Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The literary classic explores themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will, featuring stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.
Nolan’s mythic action epic, shot with new IMAX cameras, will hit theaters on July 17, 2026 — in the same window the filmmaker has favored with titles ranging from The Dark Knight to Oppenheimer.
Most recently seen starring in Malcolm Washington’s Netflix pic The Piano Lesson, Hawkins’ past feature credits include The Color Purple, The Tragedy of Macbeth, In the Heights, BlackKklansman and Straight Outta Compton, to name just a few. In television, he’s been seen on the likes of The Walking Dead and 24: Legacy. His upcoming slate also includes Amazon MGM’s Crime 101, Poker Face Season 2, and the Hulu thriller The Man in My Basement, on which he’s also an exec producer.
Hawkins is repped by WME and Michael Auerbach at Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
