If you’ve walked past a movie theater or logged onto social media this week, you know that The Odyssey mania has officially reached a fever pitch. With Christopher Nolan’s Greek epic set to hit theaters and IMAX this Friday, July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures is pulling out all the stops. In a rare late-night move, NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has turned over its entire week of programming to the film’s massive A-list cast.
Kicking off the week on Monday night was Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus, the fiercely loyal son of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon). While Holland is no stranger to anchoring multi-billion-dollar blockbusters, he admitted to Fallon that when he first heard Christopher Nolan wanted him for a film, his immediate reaction was pure disbelief—and a healthy dose of imposter syndrome.
The Wrong Number: Why Tom Thought the Call Was for Timothée Chalamet
When Fallon asked Holland about the exact moment he found out he had landed a coveted spot in a Christopher Nolan production, the actor couldn’t help but laugh.
“Honestly, I thought he was supposed to be calling Timothée Chalamet.’”
The self-deprecating jab had the Studio 6B audience in stitches. It’s a running joke in Hollywood that Holland and Chalamet—the two defining young leading men of their generation—frequently circle the exact same high-profile scripts. From competing for roles to trading places on the global box-office charts, Holland jokingly assumed Nolan’s assistant had simply dialed the wrong “Tom.”
Of course, Nolan’s choice was entirely deliberate. Having previously worked with Chalamet on Interstellar, the director was looking for a completely different energy for Telemachus—and Holland’s perfect blend of physical athleticism and raw emotional vulnerability made him the ultimate choice to play Matt Damon’s screen son.
Defending the “Dad” Controversy
When the final trailer for The Odyssey dropped, some vocal purists on social media threw a minor fit over a scene where Telemachus refers to Odysseus as “Dad” instead of the historically accurate, formal “Father”.
Holland defended the creative choice with his trademark logical wit:
“I’ve seen people online getting so worked up about it. They’re like, ‘Oh, it’s Ancient Greece, he shouldn’t be saying Dad!’ But I wouldn’t have even said Father back then, would I? It would have been Greek! We’re already translating it, so why not make it earthy and grounded?”
Nolan himself has echoed this sentiment in recent interviews, stating he wanted the legendary poem to feel accessible and immediate to 2026 audiences rather than treating it like a dry, dusty museum piece.
Humbled in the DMs: The Erling Haaland Ghosting Story
Despite being the reigning King of the Box Office and starring in the summer’s two most anticipated blockbusters (both The Odyssey and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day releasing later this month), Holland revealed that his global fame doesn’t work on everyone.
Holland admitted that he recently tried to slide into the DMs of Manchester City soccer sensation and 2026 World Cup star Erling Haaland to invite him out for dinner while they were both in Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
As it turns out, Haaland admitted on a Norwegian talk show that he simply didn’t answer because he doesn’t watch movies and literally had zero clue who “Tom Holland” was.
“It’s exactly the type of humbling experience that is incredibly important for actors,” Holland laughed, taking the ghosting entirely in stride. “You’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m Spider-Man, I’m Telemachus!’ And then a giant Norwegian striker just leaves you on read.”
The Rest of the Late-Night “Odyssey” Takeover
With Holland setting a spectacularly high, energetic bar on Monday night, The Tonight Show is just getting started with its star-studded celebration. Universal is pulling out the heavy artillery for the final promotional push before Friday:
- Tuesday, July 14 (Tonight): Matt Damon (Odysseus himself) will take the couch to discuss his massive physical prep.
- Wednesday, July 15: Zendaya (appearing as the goddess Athena) will stop by.
- Thursday, July 16: Lupita Nyong’o (pulling incredible double duty as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra) will close out the week.
Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ officially opens in theatres and IMAX this Friday, July 17, 2026.
