Christopher Nolan's commitment to practical filmmaking extended to one of The Odyssey's biggest sequences, with the filmmaker reportedly squeezing into the film's giant Trojan Horse alongside around 20 actors, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and an IMAX camera to shoot the pivotal moment.
The behind-the-scenes anecdote was shared by actor John Leguizamo, who plays Eumaeus, a loyal companion of Odysseus, during the film's New York premiere. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Leguizamo recalled searching for Nolan on set, only to be told that the director was inside the enormous prop filming the sequence.
"I was looking for Chris Nolan to meet him, and they told me he was inside the horse with 20 actors and the DP and the IMAX camera," Leguizamo said. Calling the experience remarkable, he added that it reflected Nolan's leadership, saying the filmmaker would never expect his cast to do something he wasn't willing to do himself.
Lead actor Matt Damon, who portrays Odysseus, had earlier revealed that the iconic Trojan Horse sequence came together in an unusually spontaneous manner. During an interview with GamesRadar+, Damon said Nolan had not mapped out the scene in detail beforehand and instead asked the cast to get inside the structure and work through it together.
According to Damon, the sense of confinement visible in the finished sequence emerged naturally during filming. He explained that Nolan and van Hoytema developed the scene on the spot, with the director standing beside the camera as they experimented inside the cramped wooden structure. Damon felt that the improvisational approach gave the sequence an energy that extensive planning might not have achieved.
Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page and Jon Bernthal, The Odyssey releases in theatres on Friday.