2026 promises to be an exciting year for movies, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is already one of the most talked-about projects. Despite some recent criticism regarding its historical accuracy, the film is generating significant buzz. This anticipation is largely thanks to Nolan’s established reputation for high-quality, detail-oriented filmmaking, and is connected to a surprising and firm principle he’s applied to this adaptation of The Odyssey.
Christopher Nolan recently told Empire magazine about the effort his team put into realistically portraying the long sea journey in his latest film. He wanted the voyage – and the characters’ appearances, including their beards – to feel authentic. Nolan explained he prefers using real hair over wigs or fake beards because it allows for more convincing action and practical effects. “You want the physicality of real hair,” he said, “so you can put a firehose on the guy and do all the things we need him to do.”
Matt Damon also had to grow a substantial beard for the role, something he hadn’t attempted before. He joked that usually, about a hundred things – starting with his children – prevent his beard from getting very long. However, the director insisted on keeping everything authentic.
Christopher Nolan Wanted To Capture The Challenge Of The Odyssey
The decision to avoid fake beards was just one part of a larger effort to realistically portray the immense challenges of this expedition. Filming lasted 91 days, and Nolan explained they shot over two million feet of film, a significant amount of which was captured at sea.
Nolan described being at sea as a deeply elemental experience. He and the cast spent four months filming on the ocean, in the actual locations featured in the story of Odysseus. He explained that the sea is both beautiful and frightening, changing constantly, and they aimed to realistically portray the challenges and bravery of ancient voyages into the unknown.
Nolan feels that to truly show how remarkable the experience was, it’s important to also highlight the difficulties those involved faced. He explained that filming in a practical, hands-on way adds depth to the story, because the challenges of the real world constantly present themselves during production.
The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17, 2026.
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2025-12-25 17:11