Before Christopher Nolan set sail with The Odyssey, he nearly took on another ancient epic: Troy. The 2004 blockbuster, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, is finally making its way to Peacock this August, giving audiences a chance to revisit the film that could have been Nolan's first big studio project.
Nolan's latest epic has reignited interest in Greek mythology on screen. A 1997 TV adaptation of The Odyssey is climbing the iTunes charts, and now Troy joins the streaming lineup. Starting August 1, 2026, you can watch the film on Peacock, just as Nolan's own The Odyssey continues its theatrical run.
The Epic That Almost Was
Here's a fun bit of Hollywood history: Nolan was originally tapped to direct Troy after Wolfgang Petersen stepped away to develop a Batman vs. Superman movie. But when that superhero project fell apart, Petersen returned to the Greek epic, and Nolan was offered Batman Begins instead. The rest, as they say, is history—Nolan went on to redefine superhero cinema, while Troy became a massive box office hit.
Produced on a reported $185 million budget, Troy grossed nearly $500 million worldwide. It boasts an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Brian Cox, Rose Byrne, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, and Sean Bean as Odysseus—the same character Matt Damon plays in Nolan's The Odyssey. The film received mixed reviews, earning a 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it "a brawny, entertaining spectacle, but lacking emotional resonance."
Brad Pitt's Regret
Pitt later admitted that working on Troy wasn't a positive experience, and it made him more selective about his roles. Despite its flaws, the film remains the highest-grossing movie based on a Greek epic, a title it still holds today.
In contrast, Nolan's The Odyssey has been a critical and commercial triumph, with a 95% critics' score and 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It's already surpassed other Greek-inspired films at the box office in record time.
When and Where to Watch
Troy will be available to stream on Peacock starting August 1, 2026. If you haven't seen Nolan's The Odyssey yet, it's still playing in theaters—a perfect double feature with the film that almost was. Stay tuned for more updates on what's coming to streaming.
