Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche are reuniting for a gritty and fresh interpretation of a timeless epic.
Titled The Return, the film is set to hit theaters on December 6. This new movie is a reimagining of Homer’s Odyssey, with Fiennes and Binoche—who last appeared together in the 1996 Best Picture Oscar winner The English Patient—leading the cast.
As revealed in the recently released trailer, The Return follows King Odysseus (played by Fiennes) as he completes his long journey home to his wife, Penelope (played by Binoche), after the Trojan War. However, his return is not met with the hero’s welcome one might expect.
In the trailer, Odysseus can be heard asking, “What will the people say when they see I have returned alone? That I led all their men to their deaths?”
Directed and co-written by Italian filmmaker Uberto Pasolini, The Return also stars Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Claudio Santamaria, and Ángela Molina.
The film’s official synopsis from distributor Bleecker Street describes Odysseus as “haggard and unrecognizable” when he washes up on the shores of Ithaca.
Meanwhile, Penelope finds herself a prisoner in her own home, besieged by numerous suitors who pressure her to choose a new husband.
Plummer, 25, plays Prince Telemachus, who faces growing danger from his mother’s suitors. As Odysseus confronts his past, he must find the strength to save his family and reclaim the love he has lost.
The trailer showcases several intense moments, with Fiennes—barely clothed—wielding various weapons in dramatic, bloody action sequences.
One notable scene shows Penelope promising her hand in marriage to the suitor who can shoot an arrow through a row of axes, prompting Odysseus to take up the challenge himself.
The Return made its world premiere on September 7 at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
During an interview, Binoche expressed how “joyful” it was to reunite with Fiennes on screen after their previous collaborations in The English Patient and the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which marked Fiennes’ feature film debut.
“We remained friends, throughout all those years,” Binoche said, referring to their enduring friendship. Binoche won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The English Patient.
Fiennes, meanwhile, shared that playing opposite Binoche felt like a natural decision. “Juliette is like a compass for me,” he said. “She has such an extraordinary, intuitive depth and understanding about what it is to act on film.”
Director Pasolini, 67, expressed his excitement about bringing Homer’s world to life through the talents of Fiennes and Binoche.
In a 2022 interview, he said, “I feel enormously fortunate to be able to bring Homer’s world alive through the great talent of Juliette and Ralph, whose powerful screen presence is matched by the fearlessness they bring to their work.” The Return opens in theaters on December 6.
