Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Odyssey features one of the filmmaker’s impressive traditions that should make people even more excited about it. In the aftermath of the mᴀssive success of Oppenheimer, Nolan looks to Homer’s The Odyssey for his next big project. The movie, which includes a cast of talented actors (e.g., Lupito Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Zendaya, etc.), revolves around the events of Homer’s epic poem, chronicling Odysseus’ 10-year trek home after the Trojan War. Given the history behind the story and the cast, it’s easy to see why so many are eager for Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Nolan has always been a filmmaker with high regard, given his work on The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and more. However, Oppenheimer put him over the top. The 2023 biographical drama grossed almost $1 billion at the box office and won seven Oscars (including Nolan’s first Best Director award), which puts a lot of pressure on Nolan’s next project. Thankfully, it seems, at least in the early stages of The Odyssey‘s production, that Nolan is ensuring his success from Oppenheimer will carry over into his 2026 film.

Christopher Nolan Will Film The Odyssey In Multiple Locations (Including Sicily)

The Upcoming Movie Stays True To The Source Material

According to Variety, part of Christopher Nolan’s 2026 movie The Odyssey will be filmed in several locations around the world. One of them will be Sicily (specifically on the island of Favignana, just west of Sicily’s coast) as the filmmaker is committed to making his adaptation as accurate to the source material as possible. Favignana, also known as “goat island,” is one of the many places Odysseus traveled to during his journey home to Ithaca in Homer’s The Odyssey. In the epic poem, Odyssey and his crew eat goats and gather more food for the rest of their voyage.

Favignana isn’t the only location for the 2026 movie’s principal pH๏τography. Nolan and the cast of The Odyssey will also reportedly travel to Sicily’s Eolian islands, the United Kingdom, and Morocco to capture the story from Homer’s classic poem. However, filming is expected to begin in March 2025 in Favignana, where the bulk of the Italian portion of production will take place. It’s unclear how long the Favignana shoot will last, though, and when the cast and crew will move on to other places to film segments of The Odyssey.

Christopher Nolan Has Been Making Movies Of Global Scale Since Inception

The Dark Knight Rises & Tenet Were Also Worldwide Productions

Although there are some exceptions, many of Christopher Nolan’s movies have been captured in various locations worldwide. Now, The Odyssey can be added to that list. The setting diversity undoubtedly adds an extra layer of complexity and intrigue to the story, which, in turn, helps the films critically and commercially. Increasing a film’s global scale is one of Nolan’s many traditions that has made him the renowned filmmaker he is today.

Inception started the filming location trend when the cast and crew flew to numerous cities and countries to shoot, including Tokyo, the United Kingdom, Morocco, France, Los Angeles, and Canada. Nolan utilized more than six locations to produce the 2010 sci-fi action movie, which grossed over $830 million at the box office and won four Oscars. Meanwhile, Nolan’s other successful projects (like The Dark Knight Rises and Tenet) were also filmed in various places around the world. Of course, Nolan didn’t use this strategy for movies like Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, both of which feature stories mostly contained in one location.

Nolan Often Filming On Location Adds To The Cinematic Experience Of His Movies

The Scale Of The Esteemed Filmmaker’s Movies Is Always Grand

Following the release of Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s movies have been described as “events.” They are highly anticipated, luring people to the movie theaters just so they can watch the filmmaker’s latest masterpiece and be a part of the craze. By filming on location worldwide, Nolan enhances this cinematic experience, adding diversity and nuance to the story, which is partly why his projects are highly praised by critics and viewers alike.

Instead of simply shooting scenes on a soundstage in London, England, Nolan adds authenticity to his movies by filming on location. In turn, people become more enticed to see his films. Of course, Nolan’s mᴀssive budgets for movies like The Odyssey ($250 million) allow him to utilize multiple locations for his productions, and the filmmaker certainly puts all the money to good use.

Source: Variety