Christopher Nolan Finally Reveals the Greatest Casting Choice That Changed Everything in ‘The Odyssey’

Christopher Nolan has started sharing small details about his next movie, The Odyssey, and the latest update came during a special IMAX screening of Interstellar event in Los Angeles.

The director appeared alongside Timothée Chalamet for a Q&A after a 70mm showing of Interstellar at AMC Citywalk in early February 2026. During the conversation, Nolan spoke openly about the scale of the new film and explained why casting Matt Damon as Odysseus became one of the most important choices he has ever made.

Chalamet asked Nolan how his earlier projects prepared him for such a huge production. He joked about how the story of The Odyssey has existed for thousands of years and wondered how Nolan approached something so massive. Nolan responded by explaining that the experience of making films like Interstellar and Inception helped him build the skills needed for this new challenge.

Nolan admitted the movie was extremely difficult to create, but he made it clear the struggle was not about creative conflict. Instead, he said the scale of the project itself was the biggest challenge. He told the audience that the production required years of preparation from him and his longtime collaborators, including producer Emma Thomas and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. He also revealed that the film pushes the limits of IMAX filmmaking even further than before.

The director explained that The Odyssey is the first time he has been able to shoot an entire movie designed to fully fill the IMAX screen. He said the process was demanding but exciting. During the talk, Nolan shifted to the subject of casting and gave special praise to Matt Damon. He explained that working with Damon again was a key part of making the production work.

Nolan said, “It was a very hard film to make, but hard in the right way.” He continued by describing how Damon helped lead the massive production and kept the team focused. Nolan added, “The issue would have been unthinkable without him.” He said Damon brought life experience, a strong attitude, and professional skill to the set. He also called the decision to cast Damon “one of my best casting decisions.”

“You asked me about casting decisions earlier. Casting Matt Damon, who was the third time we got him, Interstellar being the first, sorry, that’s a spoiler.(laugh) But the issue would have been unthinkable without him. He sort of placed his life experience and career and his incredible attitude, as well as the skill as an actor, to just pull everybody along and be such a partner. Vital casting decision, one of my best casting decisions.“

The upcoming film has a huge budget of around $250 million and was filmed across several countries, including Greece, Italy, and Western Sahara. The story brings together a major cast, with Tom Holland playing Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya as Athena, and Robert Pattinson as Antinous. The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 17.

A film by Christopher Nolan shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Watch The Odyssey trailer and experience the film in theaters 7 17 26. pic.twitter.com/Lqap9dFI09

— The Odyssey Movie (@odysseymovie) December 22, 2025

Early reactions from people who have seen footage have been very positive. Some have described the film as “massively entertaining” and compared its scale to classic epics from director David Lean. Jonathan Nolan has also praised the project in interviews, calling it a “tremendous achievement.”

Nolan’s comments show how ambitious this project is and how important strong casting can be for a film of this size. It sounds like he sees Matt Damon as the anchor of the entire production. Big historical epics are rare today, so it will be interesting to see how audiences react when the movie finally releases. What do you think about Nolan’s casting choice and this huge new movie? Share your thoughts in the comments.