Matt Damon is gearing up for the release of The Odyssey, an epic adaptation of Homer's eponymous poem, directed by Christopher Nolan. Ahead of its July release, Damon spoke about the film, his role it, working with Christopher Nolan and more.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, the actor said, "It is the hardest movie I've ever done by far. I mean not even close."
The Odyssey brings Nolan back together with Damon after collaborations on Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Recalling his first meeting with the filmmaker for the upcoming film, Damon said, "He told me, 'This movie is going to be hard. I kind of looked at him like I've made, I don't know 100 movies or whatever."
Damon added that while Nolan acknowledged the number of films the actor has starred in, working on the cinematic adaptation of Homer's poem would still be extremely difficult.
Christopher Nolan tends to go back to his actors for films, such as with Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Speaking about this, Damon said, "He really understands what actors do and what is required of them to do it." The Odyssey star added that Nolan is an actor's director, a perception that others might not agree with because the filmmaker makes big-ticket films. However, Damon highlighted the quality performances the filmmaker extracts from his stars to drive home his point about Nolan being an actor's director.
Damon also said that Nolan stands out from other filmmakers because of the ambition in his stories and his storytelling style. "In this case, he wanted to do it 100 per cent in IMAX," the actor said, referring to his upcoming film. It is slated for a July 17 release in theatres.
