Universal Sets The Odyssey's Oscar Acting Slate: Damon Lead, Five in Supporting

Universal and Christopher Nolan have settled the acting categories for The Odyssey's Oscar campaign, according to reports published Oct. 27, 2026. Matt Damon will run in Lead Actor, the only lead entry from the film.

Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton are listed for Supporting Actress, and Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and John Leguizamo for Supporting Actor. Zendaya, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o are not among the six.

The Six Entries, Category by Category

The A.V. Club, in a piece dated Oct. 27 that draws on a Gold Derby analysis, lists Damon alone in Best Actor. It places Hathaway in Best Supporting Actress and says the remaining actors, including Morton, campaign in their respective supporting categories.

World of Reel, also citing Gold Derby, gives the same split: Damon in lead, Pattinson, Holland and Leguizamo in Supporting Actor, and Hathaway and Morton in Supporting Actress. It describes the six as the performers the film will campaign in the acting races.

The A.V. Club says Hathaway seemed to have a good shot at a nomination in the leading actress category, where she likely would have competed against Julianne Moore in The Debut and Sandra Hüller in Fatherland and/or Rose.

Who Was Left Off, and What Else Is Submitted

The A.V. Club says Zendaya, Theron, Nyong'o, Elliot Page and Himesh Patel will not receive an Oscar, and that Zendaya is "officially out of the Oscar race." World of Reel adds Jon Bernthal to that list.

The A.V. Club reports that the film is being submitted in 19 award categories. Six are the acting entries. The other 13 are Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Casting, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Sound and Visual Effects.

The Original Song entry is "When I'm Home," by James Blake, Ludwig Göransson and Travis Scott.

The outlet, citing Gold Derby, says that breadth could put the film in range of the record of 16 nominations held by Sinners, which earned them last year, including three for acting: Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku. It adds that The Odyssey "seems to have a decent shot at being nominated in most design categories."

How the Placements Interact With the 99th Oscars Rules

The Academy's rules for the 99th Oscars include a change to acting eligibility. An actor may be nominated for multiple performances in the same category if those performances place in the top five votes.

The rules also state that only roles credited in the film's legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent are eligible. A feature needs a qualifying theatrical release between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2026.

Screenings with Q&A sessions or panels held before nominations may now have up to two moderators, up from one.

Eblasts and FYC calendar entries sent through an Academy-approved mailing house must include an email address or phone number for inquiries about how members may request accessibility, or about whether the theater hosting a screening has proper accommodations.

What the Race Looks Like and What Comes Next

The A.V. Club calls the Hathaway placement the biggest reveal of the slate and reports that Gold Derby has her as a front runner in Supporting Actress. Gold Derby predicts nominations for both Hathaway and Morton, according to that report.

In Supporting Actor, the A.V. Club says Gold Derby's odds include only Leguizamo as a likely nominee. World of Reel says pundits have already pegged Leguizamo as the safer bet, and notes he has never been nominated but already has an Emmy and a Tony.

For Damon, World of Reel's writer expects a tough Best Actor race against John Malkovich for Wild Horse Nine and Andrew Scott for Elsinore. The writer notes that neither Damon nor Malkovich has won an acting Oscar. These are the outlets' predictions and opinions, not voter results.

The Academy's final deadline for General Entry, Animated Feature, Best Picture and the RAISE form is Nov. 12, 2026. Original Score submissions are due Nov. 4. The Casting, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound and Visual Effects voting events are set for Jan. 8–10, 2027.