It’s surprising to find out that Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is the first modern blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s second epic poem, which is, along with its predecessor “The Iliad,” arguably the first example of storytelling on a grand scale, which continues to inform our cinematic quests, our hero’s journeys. There are very few filmmakers that could or would tackle “The Odyssey” now with such an eye to authenticity and scope, and thank goodness it was Nolan, who has the resources and the skill to do so with the right crew and an all-star cast.

But “The Odyssey” has been brought to the screen before in different forms, and there are a few adaptations on streaming available to watch before or after you check out Nolan’s version.

In 1954, Kirk Douglas starred in the sword and sandal Technicolor epic “Ulysses” (the Roman name for Odysseus, the hero of “The Odyssey”). Douglas plays the title character of course, the Greek war hero trying to make his way home after 10 years of fighting in the Trojan War. Shot on location in the Mediterranean, North Africa and Rome, the film was directed by Mario Camerini, produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Carlo Ponti, and co-stars Silvana Mangano as the witch Circe, Anthony Quinn as the sniveling suitor Antinoos and Franco Interlenghi as Ulysses’ son Telemachus. Mario Bava, who later became a horror icon for his giallo films, served as camera operater, uncredited co-cinematographer and directed the cyclops segment of the film. It’s also notorious for inspiring the novel adapted into the 1963 Jean-Luc Godard film “Contempt,” so there’s lots of lore there. Stream “Ulysses” on Tubi or rent on Prime Video or Apple iTunes.

Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky directed a miniseries version of “The Odyssey” in 1997, with Armand Assante as Odysseus, and the rest of the cast including Greta Scacchi, Geraldine Chaplin, Christopher Lee, Bernadette Peters, Eric Roberts, Isabella Rossellini, Vanessa Williams and more. The Emmy winning two-part miniseries was filmed in Malta, Turkey and other locations, and aired in two parts in May 1997. Stream it on Prime Video and Tubi.

But there are many ways to skin a cat, and the Coen brothers did their own adaptation of “The Odyssey” in 2000 with “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” inspired by the poem, but set in the 1930s American South, involving three escaped convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson) searching for hidden treasure. This is a fun one to map “The Odyssey” onto once you’re familiar with the plot and characters, and the folk country soundtrack is a classic for a reason. Stream “O Brother, Where Art Thou” on the Criterion Channel or rent it on other platforms.

But your best bet before “The Odyssey” might be the 2024 film “The Return,” directed by Italian filmmaker Uberto Pasolini (related to Luchino Visconti but not Pier Paolo Pasolini). This more stripped down version of “The Odyssey” focuses more on the second half of the poem — not the monsters, witches and gods that Odysseus faces, but the harder task of homecoming. Ralph Fiennes stars as Odysseus, and Juliette Binoche stars as Penelope, his wife who has waited for 20 years for his return. Charlie Plummer stars as Telemachus. The film is less sweeping epic adventure than intimate chamber piece and acting showcase for the stars. Stream “The Return” on Paramount+, Kanopy or rent it on other digital platforms.

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