The Odyssey

stunt performer James Newman reveals Christopher Nolan’s epic, globe-trotting approach to filming his upcoming movie. After finding critical and commercial success with Oppenheimer (2023), Nolan has next set his sights on an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, an ancient story that chronicles Odysseus’ years-long journey home after the Trojan War. Matt Damon takes on the lead role of Odysseus in the film, with a stacked supporting cast that includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o, among others. Filming on The Odyssey got underway in February, with the production remaining shrouded in mystery.

During a recent appearance on the Action for Everyone podcast, Newman discusses his time working on The Odyssey, revealing that Nolan took a unique approach to filming, specifically seeking out locations that nobody had filmed in before. This sometimes led to fairly epic journeys for the cast and crew to actually get to these remote filming locations. Filming was such a mᴀssive undertaking that Newman declares no movie will be sH๏τ like The Odyssey again. Check out his full comment 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.”

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“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.”

Newman then talks more specifically about his time training stars Damon and Holland, and how the action was choreographed for the two stars. The stunt performer explains that all the action was deeply rooted in character, with Damon’s Odysseus featuring a unique fighting style:

“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.”

What This Means For The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s Upcoming Movie Has Already Broken A Record For The Director

Filming in the way that Newman describes has a mᴀssive impact on budget. Traveling to and from locations takes time, as does taking care of these people when in remote locations. Nolan’s approach to filming is reflected in The Odyssey‘s reported budget, with the film said to be carrying a $250 million price tag, the highest of the director’s career. After the critically-acclaimed Oppenheimer, an R-rated, three-hour historical drama, grossed $975 million, expectations are obviously high that Nolan will deliver.

While specifics regarding The Odyssey‘s filming remain unknown, set pH๏τos and videos have confirmed that the project has sH๏τ scenes in Morocco, Italy, and Greece. It has been reported that the movie will also shoot in the UK. It’s unclear at what stage of production The Odyssey is in and whether filming has wrapped or is close to wrapping, but Newman’s comment suggests his time working on the project has come to an end. The film has a release date set for July 17, 2026, leaving lots of time for post-production.

Our Take On Newman’s The Odyssey Update

Nolan’s Movie Just Became Even More Exciting

Nolan’s love of practical effects and real filming locations is well-known at this point, but he appears to be taking this to an entirely new level with The Odyssey. The sheer scale of the production and the mᴀssive budget alone have made the film one to look forward to. It also sounds like audiences are in for some major changes after the dialogue-heavy Oppenheimer, with The Odyssey set to feature more action and fight sequences.

One especially exciting element of Newman’s comment is Damon’s return to hand-to-hand action. He hasn’t been particularly active as an action star over the past few years, but Damon memorably played ᴀssᴀssin Jason Bourne across four films, displaying an impressive level of physicality during the franchise’s many fight sequences. Many questions still remain about The Odyssey, but anticipation is sure to only grow after the latest reveals from Newman.

Source: Action For Everyone