It was revealed back in April that Lionsgate has plans to develop a new big screen The Odyssey movie, based on Homer’s ancient poem. Francis Lawrence, who directed the second, third and fourth films in The Hunger Games franchise is set to helm with Mockingjay scribe Peter Craig writing and Nina Jacobson, responsible for the entire Hunger Games franchise, producing. Now, Variety reveals that The Odyssey movie is negotiating with The Wolverine star Hugh Jackman to play the part of Odysseus.
Believed to have been written near the end of the 8th century BC, The Odyssey is a sequel of sorts to Homer’s The Iliad. It follows the adventures of the warrior Odysseus and the fantastic trials and tribulations he encounters on his decade-long journey home to Greece after the fall of Troy. Among the obstacles he encounters in his journey are the Cyclops Polyphemus, the six-headed Scylla, the whirlpool sea monster Charybdis and the birdlike sirens.
The Odyssey has been adapted several times for the big screen in various iterations, ranging from the straightforward 1954 adaptation Ulysses, starring Kirk Douglas in the lead, to Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2000 hit, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, starring George Clooney in a musical 1930s adaptation set in the deep south.
Jackman starred earlier this year in Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie and can next be seen playing the villainous pirate Blackbeard in Pan, director Joe Wright’s “origin story” of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. He’s also slated to reprise his role as Marvel Comics’ Wolverine in a still-untitled film from director James Mangold. Set for release March 3, 2017, it has been made clear that the film will be Jackman’s final performance as the character.
Production on The Odyssey movie is planned to begin in early 2016 with Erik Feig, Jim Miller and James Myers overseeing for Lionsgate.
