Christopher Nolan has never been one for modest ambitions, and his latest film may be his most expansive yet. Shot entirely with 70mm IMAX cameras and boasting a stacked, all-star cast, The Odyssey features Matt Damon as Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, and follows his long, brutal journey home after the Trojan War, as he battles gods, monsters, and fate itself in a desperate attempt to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway).
Matt Damon on The Odyssey
In a Netflix interview, Damon said that while he’s still “unpacking” the experience of filming The Odyssey, the movie did have “a profound effect on me.” In fact, he added that it feels like the last big movie shot on film that he’s ever going to make.
“Doing The Odyssey this last year, it felt like my one chance in my life to make a David Lean movie,” he said, “that I was making the last big movie on film that I was ever gonna get to make.“
He continued, “If I look objectively at what was required to do that job, I think it came at just the right time in my life. I think I would’ve been miserable 20 years ago trying to do that job. Because you were uncomfortable every day, but I really enjoyed… like, deeply enjoyed every minute of it.“
It’s hard to say whether any director other than Nolan could have made this happen. A sprawling $250 million IMAX epic with an A-list ensemble cast shot across multiple international locations; That would be a tough sell for anyone else.
Who, What, When
In addition to Damon, The Odyssey stars Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Mia Goth, Zendaya, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Ryan Hurst, Logan Marshall-Green, Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Stewart, Benny Safdie, Corey Hawkins, and Elyes Gabel.
The Odyssey is based on an ancient Greek poem by Homer that tells the tale of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey home after the ten-year Trojan War. The trip was perilous, including encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe. At home, Odysseus is presumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must contend with groups of unruly suitors who each want Penelope’s hand in marriage to control the kingdom.
The film is set to be released in theaters on July 17.
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