The Return (2024 film)

The Return is an upcoming historical drama film directed by Uberto Pasolini and starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. The film is a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey by Edward Bond, John Collee and Pasolini.

It is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2024, in the United States by Bleecker Street.

Synopsis
Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of his home island Ithaca after twenty years fighting in and returning from the Trojan War. Scarred by his experiences he is unrecognisable from the mighty warrior king that left, 20 years before. His wife Penelope (Binoche) is now a prisoner in her own home, hounded by many suitors to choose a new husband that would take the throne. Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus (Plummer) is facing death at the hands of those who see him as a threat to their ambitions. Odysseus is forced to face his past in order to save his family and win back that which he has lost.

Cast

 * Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus
 * Juliette Binoche as Penelope
 * Charlie Plummer as Telemachus
 * Marwan Kenzari as Antinous
 * Claudio Santamaria as Eumaeus
 * Ayman Al Aboud as Indius
 * Amir Wilson as Philoetius
 * Francesco Bianchi as Amphimedon
 * Nicolas Retrivi as Elenus
 * Bruno Cassandra as Promachus
 * Cosimo Desii as Eurydamus

Development
The project was announced in April 2022. The script for the film was written by John Collee and Edward Bond. The film's director, Uberto Pasolini, and James Clayton produced the film. HanWay Films began handling international sales and took the project to the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. In February 2023 Bleecker Street were announced to have picked up North American rights and have Andrew Karpen and Kent Sanderson executive producing on the project. Roberto Sessa for Picomedia with Rai Cinema, Giorgos Karnavas and Konstantinos Kontovravkis for Heretic and Stéphane Moatti, Romain Le Grand, Vivien Aslanian and Marco Pacchioni for Kabo Films and Marvelous Production were also revealed as producers on the Italy-U.S.-Greece-U.K.-France co-production.

Casting
The film marks the first appearance of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche in the same project since the 1996 Oscar winner The English Patient. In February 2023, Charlie Plummer and Marwan Kenzari were added to the cast.

Filming
The film began production in Greece in the spring of 2023, with principal photography in the regions of Corfu and the Peloponnese, before continuing on to locations in Italy. Filming had wrapped in Corfu by June 2023.

Release
The Return is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2024, in the United States by Bleecker Street.