Sir Christopher Nolan ran 'The Odyssey' like an 'indie film'
Hollywood director Sir Christopher Nolan ran the set of his new movie 'The Odyssey' like an "indie film" but with "crazy money", according to castmember John Leguizamo.
Sir Christopher Nolan ran 'The Odyssey' set like an "indie film" but with "crazy money", according to castmember John Leguizamo.
Leguizamo is part of the star-studded cast of the Hollywood director's upcoming epic - based on the eponymous poem by Homer - and he's revealed the moviemaker didn't allow the production to feel like a big budget blockbuster.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe', Leguizamo explained: "Dude, you know the thing is, okay he’s got a crazy budget, it’s not small, but he runs [it] like an indie film because he’s not doing it by committee, he’s not doing it by what the studio says.
"He’s like an indie filmmaker but with crazy money."
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in 'The Odyssey' alongside stars including Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson and Jon Bernthal.
The 'Oppenheimer' director previously admitted he is drawn to big budget projects because he feels lucky to have the resources to make such huge films.
Nolan told Time magazine: "I’m drawn to working at a large scale because I know how fragile the opportunity to marshal those resources is.
"I know that there are so many filmmakers out there in the world who would give their eye teeth to have the resources I put together, and I feel I have the responsibility to use them in the most productive and interesting way."
Universal confirmed the subject matter of Nolan's new film late last year after it emerged that a number of stars had signed up for the project and the project will embrace new technology.
The studio said in a statement: "Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology.
"The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026."
Homer's ancient Greek poem is a foundational text of Western literature and tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous return journey after the Trojan War.
The poem includes stories such as Odysseus' encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.
The literature has been adapted multiple times over the years, notably with 'Ulysses', which starred Kirk Douglas and was released in 1954, while it also inspired the likes of 2000's 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'.
Anne Hathaway recently admitted it "fills [her] with so much joy" to be working with Nolan on his next movie after previously starring in his 2012 movie 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 2014's 'Interstellar'.
She told Women’s Wear Daily: “I have so many feelings about it that I don't even know how to articulate. It fills me with so much joy … I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world [is] one of the best places you can find yourself.
“Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would've been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right.”
'Spider-Man' star Tom Holland also recently admitted he is "honoured" to be teaming up with Nolan for his next project, and said it was a "phone call of a lifetime" when he was presented with the opportunity to take part in the forthcoming film.
Speaking on 'Good Morning America', he said: "All I can say is that I’m incredibly excited. "And obviously honoured, but that’s all I can say because, to be honest, that’s all I know."
Asked if Nolan was the type of director Holland would say yes to "sight unseen", he replied: "100 per cent, without a shadow of a doubt."
'The Odyssey' is slated for a summer 2026 release.
