Sir Christopher Nolan's big-screen adaptation of The Odyssey has become one of the box office hits of the year, taking over £198m globally in its opening weekend. The film, which stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway, has not only attracted a large audience but has also sparked interest in Homer's original epic poem. According to NielsenIQ BookData, sales of print editions of The Odyssey have risen by 700% in the UK last week compared to the same period in 2025, with almost 8,000 copies sold in the UK last week alone. This increase has taken the total sales for the year to 47,000, a 95% year-on-year increase.
The audiobook version of The Odyssey, read by Sir Stephen Fry, has entered the Spotify UK audiobook top 10, while Sir Ian McKellen's narration has entered the equivalent chart in the US. Many of those who have gone back to the ancient story are younger people, with listening figures on Spotify rising by about 680% since the film's release on Friday. Over 80% of the listeners are Gen Z or millennials.
Waterstones, a British chain of bookstores, has reported 'phenomenal' demand for the 2017 translation by Emily Wilson, which Sir Christopher has cited as one of his sources. The store's chief operating officer, Kate Skipper, said that they were getting deliveries every day and that the books were flying out of the shops as soon as they landed. Wilson herself welcomed the impact of the film but pointed out that Sir Christopher had left out some crucial elements.