An early insight intoThe Odysseyhas me even more excited about the upcoming Christopher Nolan movie. There has been a great deal of interest in the epic poem written by Homer after it was announced that Nolan would be directing and writing an adaptation of the classic piece of literature. While his films have always been excellent,The Odysseyis made even more exciting as it comes in the aftermath ofOppenheimer, which is arguably thebest movie of Christopher Nolan’s career. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Nolan’s involvement madeThe Odysseyinherently intriguing, and that intrigue was furthered by the movie’s star-studded cast. Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson, who have been part ofChristopher Nolan’s castsbefore inThe Dark Knight Rises,Interstellar,Tenet, andOppenheimer, are reuniting with him inThe Odyssey.The cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, and John Leguizamo. In addition to the filmmaker and his cast, behind-the-scenes details now make the movie even more highly anticipated.
Christopher Nolan Is Going To Extreme Lengths To Make The Odyssey Unique
“They’re Never Going To Make A Movie Like This Again”
Christopher Nolan’s approach toThe Odysseyincludes filming at locations that no one has ever used before. Stunt performer James Newman shared how one of the locations is a real-life cave where nothing has ever been filmed, along with a castle on a hall that can be reached via a two-kilometer hike. These real and unique locations will be visually distinctive and add to the mythical nature of the story.Nolan is also using brand-new IMAX cameras, ensuring that the movie is shot with cutting-edge technology. Check out Newman’s comments below:
They’re never going to make a movie like this again. I think it’s going to be an epic of all epics. It’s going to be Nolan at his best. No holds barred. He definitely fights a battle that a lot of people aren’t fighting. The coordinator came to us with scout pictures of locations, and it’s just all over Europe because Odysseus’ journey is crazy, it’s like 10 years long.
They found locations and Nolan would go like, ‘Okay, this cave, has anyone ever filmed here before?’ And the local guy is like, ‘No.’ [Nolan] is like, ‘Okay, great, we’re going to film here.’ This like untouched place. He wants to be the first person there to do it, he wants to feel like no one has ever touched ground here. And every location is a hike. There’s a castle, I think it’s Odysseus’ home, but it’s up on a hill and it’s like a two kilometer hike to get up there.
Past Nolan movies feature memorable on-location sequences and have been filmed with IMAX cameras. WithThe Odyssey, he seems to be further leaning into these approaches as he embraces making a movie that is both inherently different and new from anything that has been done before. Part of what makes Nolan stand out from other filmmakers is his ability to deliver a massive sense of scale while also having a palpable sense of artistry. The extreme lengths he is going to forThe Odysseyindicate that this balance will once again be achieved in memorable fashion.
The Odyssey’s Production Sounds Ambitious, Even By Christopher Nolan’s Standards
He Continues To Go Bigger
Nolan is no stranger to major and complicated productions. Bane’s airplane hijack inThe Dark Knight Risesfeatured the use of real planes and the use of a simulator, and in later years,Christopher Nolan crashed a real plane inTenetfor cost-effective reasons. Due to the nature of the mythical story,The Odysseywill not feature any airplanes, but the production still sounds incredibly ambitious, perhaps even more so thanThe Dark Knight Rises,Tenet, and other Nolan movies.
In order to capture the extent of Odysseus' journey, Nolan is using a variety of locations spread across Europe. He is not settling for common location shoots and is making sure that the latest IMAX technology is at his disposal to bring the settings and each step of Odysseus' journey to life like never before. Itsounds likeThe Odysseyis on an entirely different level, even when compared to some of the more ambitious productions that he has helmed, and this will surely be felt when the movie is released in IMAX theaters in 2026.
The Odyssey’s Action Is Already Impressing Stunt Performers Too
Matt Damon & Tom Holland’s Physical Abilities Have Been Impressive
Along with being awed by the locations and Nolan’s filmmaking techniques, Newman also teased beingimpressed byThe Odyssey’s action, especially when it came to Damon and Holland’s physical abilities. He emphasized Holland’s athleticism and his ability to undertake any physical demands that were required of him in his action scenes. Newman hinted at Damon’s action being"more efficient"while still being equally impressive and true to the nature of the story in the source material. Read Newman’s comments about the action below:
I had the opportunity to make some action with a talented group of people for the film and also had the opportunity to train Matt Damon and Tom Holland for the film. All the rumors about Tom being physically able are so true. He can literally do anything. He should get every physical role possible.
Matt definitely wanted to be more efficient because that’s the character. Odysseus, if anyone is familiar with that story, Odysseus is really the only war scene character along that journey. The guys he has with him have fought with him but Odysseus himself is like, “I’ve lived and breathed battle,” and so that makes him more smart, and that’s why he’s so good. Matt definitely understood that and then we were trying to play that up as well. So he isn’t going to do flashy things.
With Tom, he’s obviously more athletic and he’s younger so he’s going to almost be a younger version of Odysseus.
From Damon’s work in theBournefranchise to Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in multipleMarvel Cinematic Universe movies, both have proven to be excellent action stars before. Newman’s comments make it sound like Damon and Holland’s action will be even more impactful inThe Odysseyand some of the best that they have delivered in their careers. It speaks volumes for a stunt performer to have been this impressed by both actors and his comments make it seem likethe action in Nolan’s next movie will be some of the best he has ever delivered.
These Updates About The Odyssey Make Me Confident Christopher Nolan Will Deliver Something Special
The Odyssey Could Be One Of His Best Movies Yet
After the artistic brilliance ofOppenheimer, it seemed like an impossible task for Nolan’s next movie to surpass or even rival the heights of what he achieved in the Cillian Murphy-led movie. While it is still far too soon to determine howThe Odyssey’s quality will compare toOppenheimer’s, Newman’s comments offer plenty of reasons to be excited and to believe thatthe 2026 movie will be a truly special work of cinema. This makes me optimistic thatThe Odysseycan create an unforgettable movie theater experience in a similar way thatOppenheimerwas able to achieve.
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Action obviously was not at the heart ofOppenheimer’s story, but it was central to past Nolan movies, includingThe Dark KnighttrilogyandInception. I am looking forward to seeing a Nolan movie filled with action again, especially after all the compliments Newman gave regarding what Damon and Holland were able to accomplish. The action in past Nolan stories has never been mind-numbing, but has always played a meaningful role in the story, and been visually inventive, and I expect this will also hold true inThe Odyssey.
The Odyssey’s source material comes with a great deal of history, literary analysis, and significant cultural weight, and Nolan is making sure that he does all of these elements justice by not holding back in any area of filmmaking.
I am just as excited to see how the cave, the castle, and the other locations across Europe will appear onscreen, especially when considering how they will look through the lens of the brand-new IMAX cameras being used.The Odyssey’s source material comes with a great deal of history, literary analysis, and significant cultural weight, and Nolan is making sure that he does all of these elements justice by not holding back in any area of filmmaking. Despite how impressive his filmography already is,I am confident thatThe Odysseycan live up to the hype surrounding it.
