Key facts
- The film 'The Odyssey' has a runtime of 172 minutes.
- Shooting for 'The Odyssey' lasted 91 days.
- The film was shot in Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland, and the United States.
- 2.1 million feet of IMAX film were used.
- 5,300 costumes were designed and produced.
- 2,000 extras were used for the siege of Troy scenes.
Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, 'The Odyssey,' is set to be an epic cinematic experience, with production details highlighting the scale and ambition of the project. The film's runtime is 172 minutes, making it shorter than Nolan's previous work, 'Oppenheimer,' which ran for 180 minutes. This decision was partly influenced by the limitations of IMAX projectors.
The production involved a rigorous 91-day shooting schedule, which concluded nine days ahead of the initial 100-day plan, attributed to favorable conditions and efficient workflow. Nolan noted that extended shooting periods can lead to diminishing returns due to cast and crew exhaustion.
Filming spanned six countries: Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland, and the United States, with Nolan emphasizing a desire for documentary-like realism by shooting on location. This approach aims to immerse the audience directly into the narrative.
The film features significant logistical and creative undertakings, including the use of 2.1 million feet of IMAX film, a length comparable to the distance between Toronto and New York. The IMAX 70mm film format is noted for its immersive quality, creating a 3D-like effect without glasses by filling the audience's peripheral vision.
IMAX cameras, weighing approximately 300 pounds with their sound-reducing mufflers, have a limited shooting capacity of 2.5 to 3 minutes per film roll, demanding intense focus from the cast and crew. This constraint was highlighted by actor Lupita Nyong’o, who described the heightened presence and readiness on a Nolan set.
Costume design was a massive effort, with 5,300 costumes created by a team of 175 artisans in Los Angeles and over 500 crew members globally. Composer Ludwig Göransson utilized 35 bronze gongs, alongside traditional instruments like the aulos and lyre, to craft a unique soundscape grounded in the film's materiality.
Scenes depicting the siege of Troy involved 2,000 extras, creating a chaotic and intense atmosphere. The production also constructed two Trojan Horses, each standing 35 feet tall. For the Ithaca scenes, cast and crew undertook a daily 45-minute, 900-foot uphill hike, though actor John Leguizamo opted for a helicopter ride.
Odysseus' ship in the film was the Draken Harald Hårfagre, a 115-foot reconstruction of a Viking longship, requiring actors to learn rowing. The encounter with the Cyclops was filmed in Nestor's Cave in Greece, a location measuring 95 feet from floor to ceiling.