Disney's Lost Odyssey: How The Studio Almost Adapted Ancient Greek Epic

Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey in 2026 marked a major cinematic event. However, what many viewers might not know is that Disney once considered making its own animated version of the epic Ancient Greek story about Odysseus' journey home to his wife Penelope at the end of the Trojan War.

In the late 20th century, during Disney's 'Renaissance', the studio held 'Gong Show' pitch meetings where writers and animators would quickly present their ideas. One of these meetings saw a Disney-fied version of The Odyssey being pitched as an idea, with the company announcing in 1992 that the movie was in development.

However, Disney ultimately dropped the project after struggling to translate the source material into a family-friendly animated comedy and deciding on a cast of characters. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements, who had hoped to work on Treasure Island, were encouraged to look at other approved ideas instead.