Christopher Nolan's take on Homer opened today with the biggest preview number of any 2026 release so far. Matt Damon led the reported payroll at $15M as Odysseus — but California's 13.3% top tax rate doesn't care who's the lead.
Reported salaries for The Odyssey's ensemble, worked through federal income tax and California's 13.3% top state rate (Universal Pictures is headquartered in Universal City, CA). Figures are illustrative estimates based on industry-reported ranges — no studio has confirmed exact numbers.
| Actor | Role | Reported Salary | Take-Home | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Damon | Odysseus | $15.0M | $7.14M | 47.6% |
| Tom Holland | Telemachus | $10.0M | $4.78M | 47.8% |
| Anne Hathaway | Penelope | $7.0M | $3.35M | 47.9% |
| Robert Pattinson | Antinous | $7.0M | $3.35M | 47.9% |
| Charlize Theron | Circe | ~$5.5M | $2.64M | 48.1% |
| Zendaya | Athena | $5.0M | $2.41M | 48.2% |
| Lupita Nyong'o | Ensemble | ~$2.0M | $0.99M | 49.4% |
| Benny Safdie | Agamemnon | ~$1.75M | $0.87M | 49.7% |
| Mia Goth | Ensemble | ~$1.25M | $0.63M | 50.6% |
| Elliot Page | Ensemble | ~$1.25M | $0.63M | 50.6% |
Notice the pattern: the smaller the paycheck, the higher the percentage kept. Nobody in this cast escapes the 37% federal bracket, but Medicare's additional 0.9% surtax and California's top marginal rate both weigh proportionally heavier the bigger the check gets.
Damon's reported $15M fee reflects a demanding lead role — Odysseus appears in nearly every scene across the film's decade-spanning journey home. It's Damon's largest reported single-film payday, and it comes entirely from a California-based studio deal, meaning the full weight of the state's top tax bracket applies regardless of where any individual scene was shot.
| The Odyssey salary (reported) | $15,000,000 |
| Federal income tax (37% bracket) | −$5,500,000 |
| California income tax (13.3% top rate) | −$1,995,000 |
| Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% surtax above $200K) | −$350,700 |
| Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 wage base) | −$11,439 |
| Estimated take-home | ~$7,142,861 |
Holland's reported $10M for playing Odysseus's son Telemachus is real money — but it's a fraction of what he commands as the lead in his own franchise. He's reportedly earning $15-25M to headline Spider-Man: Brand New Day, also out in 2026. Same actor, same tax bracket, same state — but a supporting role in a Best Picture-contender epic pays meaningfully less than anchoring a superhero franchise.
Supporting role (Telemachus)
Title role (Spider-Man)
Zendaya shows the same pattern from the other direction: $5M playing the goddess Athena here, versus a reported $6.5M for a supporting role in Brand New Day. Between just these two 2026 films, her reported acting income alone is roughly $11.5M — before Euphoria or any brand endorsement is counted.
The full reported cast payroll — all ten named actors combined — comes to roughly $55.75M. Against a $250M production budget, that's about 22 cents of every dollar. The rest goes to the physical sets, practical effects, and large-format IMAX photography Nolan is known for insisting on instead of leaning on visual effects.
Matt Damon is reported to have earned approximately $15 million to play Odysseus. After federal tax (~$5.5M at the 37% bracket), California tax (~$2.0M at 13.3%), and Medicare/Social Security (~$362K), his estimated take-home is approximately $7.14 million — about 48% of his gross salary.
The ten named cast members' reported salaries add up to approximately $55.75 million — against a $250 million production budget. Cast pay represents roughly 22% of the total production cost.
Universal Pictures, which financed and distributed The Odyssey, is headquartered in Universal City, California. Studio-paid actors generally owe California income tax at its 13.3% top marginal rate — the highest of any state — regardless of personal residency or filming location.
Holland reportedly earned $10M for the supporting role of Telemachus, compared to a reported $15-25M for the title role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day — both 2026 releases. It's a real-world example of how franchise-anchor pay and prestige-ensemble pay are priced completely differently, even for the same actor in the same tax year.
Yes — she plays the goddess Athena for a reported $5 million, her second major 2026 role after Spider-Man: Brand New Day (~$6.5M). Between the two films, her reported 2026 acting income is roughly $11.5 million, not counting Euphoria or endorsements.
A reported $250 million production budget — more than Nolan spent on Oppenheimer, Tenet, Interstellar, or the Dark Knight trilogy. Adding worldwide marketing, Universal's total cost is estimated at $330-350 million.
Both are reported at $7 million — Hathaway as Penelope, Pattinson as the antagonist Antinous. After taxes, each keeps an estimated $3.35 million, nearly identical take-home despite very different roles, since both land in the same tax brackets.
The Odyssey released in theaters on July 17, 2026, opening with a reported $17.6 million in domestic previews — the biggest preview number of any film released in 2026 up to that point.
13.3% is the reality for every million-dollar earner in the state — not just movie stars. Use our calculator to see how California stacks up against every other state.
Calculate California Take-Home →Salary figures based on publicly reported entertainment-industry estimates; no studio has confirmed exact numbers. Tax estimates are illustrative using 2026 federal and California rates for a single filer with no other deductions. Individual tax situations vary. Not financial or legal advice.