Key Takeaways
- Actor Matt Damon has called 'The Odyssey', directed by Christopher Nolan, the most difficult film of his career.
- The movie, shot in six countries and costing $250 million, features practical effects over digital shortcuts.
- Damon and co-stars worked through extreme weather conditions during filming.
American actor Matt Damon has described 'The Odyssey', directed by Christopher Nolan, as the most challenging film of his career. The nearly three-hour epic, set to debut in theaters on July 17, is a modern adaptation of one of the oldest surviving stories in human history.
Damon, known for roles such as Jason Bourne and an astronaut stranded on Mars, emphasized that 'The Odyssey' required a hands-on approach with practical effects. 'This is how a movie would have been made 80 years ago,' he said, highlighting the use of real-world scale over digital shortcuts.
Filming took place in six countries, including Morocco, Greece, and Iceland, under extreme weather conditions that included high winds and pounding rain. 'It was without question the hardest film, the most challenging, that I’ve ever done,' Damon stated during an interview with Business Recorder.
The movie, which is Universal Pictures' first feature filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, has already garnered significant interest from fans. Seats at select IMAX theaters were put on sale a year ago, and box office forecasters predict opening weekend earnings between $80 million and $100 million in the U.S. and Canada.
Co-star Tom Holland, who plays Odysseus' son Telemachus, highlighted the relevance of the story's themes. 'What’s so cool about the text is how relevant it is, you know, and the lessons that we can all learn from this piece of material,' he said. 'That is the importance of love and loyalty, perseverance, failure, facing your consequences, understanding right and wrong, and all that sort of stuff.'
Zendaya, who portrays the goddess Athena in the film, expressed her awe at Nolan's interpretation of the classic story. 'It is such a visceral emotional experience and you feel very much that you are on this odyssey with Odysseus the whole time,' she said. 'You are with him, you know, from the beginning to the end. It’s unrelenting.'
The film's production was no easy feat, costing $250 million and featuring a cast of A-list actors working under stringent conditions. Nolan's previous work includes the 2023 blockbuster 'Oppenheimer', which won both the best picture and director awards at the Academy Awards.
'This is how a movie would have been made 80 years ago.'
Matt Damon, Actor
'It was without question the hardest film, the most challenging, that I’ve ever done.'
Matt Damon, Actor
'What’s so cool about the text is how relevant it is, you know, and the lessons that we can all learn from this piece of material.'
Tom Holland, Actor
