Matt Damon on How Closely Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Follows Original Poem

Matt Damon addressed one of The Odyssey’s most talked-about creative questions ahead of the film’s promotional rollout. The actor explained how closely Christopher Nolan’s adaptation follows Homer’s original poem, outlining how the screenplay brings Odysseus’ most famous trials to the screen.

Matt Damon teases The Odyssey plot details

Matt Damon outlined key plot elements from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey while speaking to Empire, confirming that the film includes major episodes from Homer’s poem. He said the story follows Odysseus’ return home after the Trojan War and noted that the screenplay clearly details moments involving the Trojan horse, the Sirens, and the Cyclops. Damon explained, “If it says you’re running for your life from a Cyclops, you’re going to run for your life.”

Damon described the scale of filming and highlighted the construction of a full Trojan horse for the production. He recalled seeing it for the first time on a beach and said, “I saw the horse on the beach and I was just like, ‘F—.’ It was just so cool.” He added that they began shooting scenes involving the horse soon after, and recounted his exchange with Nolan about how those sequences would be executed. When Damon asked, “How are you going to do it?” Nolan responded, “I don’t know. We’ll just get in there and figure it out.”

Damon also spoke about scenes tied to Odysseus’ mythic encounters. He said the screenplay shows Odysseus tied to the mast as he passes the Sirens. “If you’re going to have an existential crisis as you pass the Sirens and you’re lashed to a mast, it’s there,” he said. Damon added that the script shows each challenge clearly and stated, “Chris doesn’t hide the ball.”

He noted that the production used global locations and open-water shoots. The film involved thousands of extras and large practical builds, including the full Trojan horse. Damon called the experience “the best” of his career. The Odyssey marks his third collaboration with Nolan after Interstellar and Oppenheimer.

Source: Comingsoon.net