More than 20 years after being attached to direct Brad Pitt's epic 'Troy,' Christopher Nolan has finally realized his ambition to adapt Homer's 'The Odyssey' for the big screen. The film, which opens in theatres July 17, stars Matt Damon as the heroic Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Tom Holland as Telemachus, with a sprawling ensemble including Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and many more.
A Massive Creative Challenge
Nolan, 55, described the project as a "massive creative challenge" in an interview with Postmedia. The film was shot over six months in six countries, using a new IMAX camera designed specifically for the production to capture the entire movie in the large-screen format. "I always want to feel like I can give them an experience they haven't had before," Nolan said, referencing his filmography that includes 'Tenet,' 'Dunkirk,' 'Interstellar,' and 'Inception.'
The casting has drawn criticism online, but opening-weekend tickets for IMAX 70mm screenings sold out within a year of going on sale. Nolan emphasized the importance of giving audiences a reason to believe in the fantastical elements, such as Circe turning soldiers into pigs or the Cyclops. "You want to scare yourself a little bit," he said. "You want to go a bit further creatively and artistically."
Why Matt Damon as Odysseus
Nolan explained that he doesn't think about actors while writing, but for Odysseus, he needed someone with a strong connection to the audience. "Matt is an incredible actor technically and artistically, but he's also a movie star who has the charisma to take the audience with him," Nolan said. He noted that Odysseus is both a wily supporting character in 'The Iliad' and a central figure in 'The Odyssey,' requiring an actor who can balance everyman appeal with heroic intensity—qualities Damon has demonstrated in roles from 'Good Will Hunting' to 'Jason Bourne.'
Filming Entirely on IMAX
'The Odyssey' is the first feature-length movie in history to be filmed entirely on IMAX. Nolan challenged the company to build new cameras that could handle intimate scenes as well as action sequences. "About halfway through the shoot, Hoyte and I were filming one of the most intimate scenes between Matt and Anne, and it had gone well. We suddenly looked at one another and said, 'OK, we can do this. We can do the whole film this way,'" Nolan recalled.
A Retrospective and a Hidden Gem
The Toronto International Film Festival is hosting a retrospective of Nolan's work this summer. When asked which film he'd recommend audiences see on the big screen, Nolan singled out 'The Prestige,' which turns 20 this year and will be re-released in theatres next January. "That is a film that I'm very, very excited to get back on the big screen and have people look at it in that way," he said.
