Achilles (Brad Pitt) looking intently inside his tent in Troy Image via Warner Bros. By Conor Sheeran Published Sep 13, 2026, 12:08 AM EDT Conor Sheeran is a Movies and TV features writer for Collider. He has a deep passion for cinema and watches everything from the biggest blockbusters to the smallest indies. While he specializes in movies and television, he has also written about politics, culture, and sports throughout his career. Based in New York City, Conor is also a massive fan of the New York Jets, Mets, and Knicks. He is still waiting for any of those teams to bring home a championship in his lifetime. A member of the National Writers Union and the International Federation of Journalists, Conor is a strong proponent of press freedom and collective action.
on Google Preferred Source Google News Summary Generate a summary of this story Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Following the massive success of Christopher Nolan 's blockbuster epic The Odyssey , audience interest in the myths and legends of ancient Greece has skyrocketed. Full of heroes, epic fights, dangerous voyages, and larger-than-life characters, The Odyssey is the type of mythological spectacle that Hollywood had been hesitant to make—but despite pre-release internet backlash , Nolan's adaptation has grossed well over a billion dollars at the box office, with records being broken left and right. It's clear that audiences have not yet had enough of ancient Greece as a cinematic setting, and for those looking to stay in that world, there is already another epic waiting for them.
2004's Troy , directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Brad Pitt , Eric Bana , Orlando Bloom , and Brian Cox , did not receive the near-universal praise that The Odyssey has. But more than two decades later, audiences seem to be warming up to it, with the film holding steady as the second most-streamed film on Apple TV. On the surface, it looks like the type of epic non-franchise blockbuster that audiences claim to miss and is the type of movie that is built to get people to the theater. Now that ancient Greece is back on the public's minds, it may be the perfect time to revisit Troy and see what holds up.
Led by Brad Pitt's Achilles, the film takes Homer's Iliad and turns it into a tragic war epic centered on human pride, mortality, and what a person will do to be remembered throughout history. By not focusing on Odysseus, played by Sean Bean , the film also makes Troy feel like a companion piece to The Odyssey . The movies focus on two different heroes, but the friendship between Odysseus and Achilles in Troy is a crucial part of the narrative, and the movie ends at the perfect launching point for The Odyssey .
Achilles (Brad Pitt) in battle on a beach in Troy (2004) Image via Warner Bros. Brendan Gleeson sternly talking to Brian Cox in Troy Image via Warner Bros. Oaris (Orlando Bloom) stands with his bow drawn in Troy Image via Warner Bros. Brian Cox and Rose Byrne in 'Troy' Image via Warner Bros. Achilles (Brad Pitt) in a fight stance with a sword and shield in 'Troy' (2004) Image via Warner Bros Close Achilles (Brad Pitt) in battle on a beach in Troy (2004) Image via Warner Bros. Brendan Gleeson sternly talking to Brian Cox in Troy Image via Warner Bros. Oaris (Orlando Bloom) stands with his bow drawn in Troy Im…