BTS Reveal Comeback Film Based On Greek Mythology

The filmmaker behind BTS’ comeback movie, The Return, has shared that the upcoming project draws creative influence from the Odyssey as well as wider Greek mythology.

The film arrives this Friday (March 27) and gives fans an inside look at the global K pop group as they prepare for their long awaited return. It also marks the first time all seven members have reunited since their 2022 break while completing their required military service.

Ahead of the release, the group staged a free performance at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul before beginning their completely sold out 82 date tour. The event was streamed across Netflix to viewers in more than 190 countries and attracted about 104,000 attendees, setting a new benchmark as the biggest public concert ever held in South Korea.

The group have also released their comeback album ‘Arirang’, and the upcoming Netflix documentary captures the moments behind their reunion and the process of creating new material.

The project is directed by Bao Nguyen (The Stringer, The Greatest Night In Pop), and during a recent conversation with Teen Vogue, he explained how Greek mythology became a key creative reference point.

He said this connection came from the similarities he noticed between Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, during his decade long return home after the Trojan War, and Penelope waiting faithfully for his return.

When asked how he first became part of the project, Nguyen explained: “Well, it’s sort of a long story… I had approached the label right near the end of their SoFi tour [dates in California] back in 2021.”

“When I was at the concert, it was just sort of quite epic in many ways. For me, BTS was almost like Odysseus going away to war and [their fanbase] ARMY was like Penelope, having this longing for their heroes to return. And so, I approached the label then with that idea, but they were deep into military service and everyone had sort of separate lives,” he continued.

“And they came back to me the summer of 2025 saying, ‘Well, the group is back. They’re recording an album. Would you be interested in making a film about that?’ So, that’s when it started.”

Nguyen also explained that RM later connected with this concept, unexpectedly bringing up similar references to Greek mythology during a conversation they shared.

“This was by happenstance in many ways. I mentioned that Odyssey and Greek mythology were a framework for the film, and we were just like sitting in the car with RM and driving from the home in LA to the studio, and he just starts talking about kairos and chronos, which are these Greek concepts of time,” the director explained, adding that Chronis is “measured time and linear time” while Kairos is “immeasurable and like life in terms of moments and impermanence”.

“That what I thought coming from the outside of what their journey was also was something that they saw in their own perspective,” Nguyen continued. “And RM is obviously such a philosophical and wise person. So when he said that, I knew that we were going to have a chance to make a really great film.”

‘Arirang’ received a four star rating from NME, which stated: “Much of ‘Arirang’ negotiates polar ideas – BTS as heroes or normal people, the buzz of the spotlight and the hush of their private worlds, longing for the euphoric parts of life to continue versus wanting to get off of the ride.”

“BTS’ return to their roots here isn’t just a reference to their cultural identity, but also to the music they first emerged making,” it added. “The first half of ‘Arirang’ goes heavy on the hip hop – an addictive onslaught of attitude and energy that makes for a powerful reintroduction. ‘Hooligan’’s alternative hip hop dials up the fun and takes things into satisfyingly strange sonic territory, combining bladelike schwings with skipping strings, while ‘FYA’ revs up into something urgent and uplifting.”

During their massive Seoul concert, BTS also performed several songs from the new album live for the first time, including ‘Body to Body’, ‘Hooligan’, ‘2.0’, and ‘Like Animals’. RM remained seated for much of the performance after suffering an ankle injury during rehearsals.

Their extensive 2026 and 2027 world tour begins next month and will span 34 territories and 79 shows, making it the most ambitious tour of their career so far.