"He’s like an indie filmmaker": The Odyssey star sheds light on Nolan's out-of-the-box filmmaking process

Christopher Nolan believes in staying true to the artist's spirit, and that is what we can expect from The Odyssey, his first foray into the mythological world. Recently, John Leguizamo, who ran a high-end chop shop in John Wick, joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming Nolan film, and he shared his experience working with the filmmaking auteur.

While appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, he said:

"Dude, you know the thing is, okay, he’s got a crazy budget. It’s not small, but he runs [it] like an indie film because he’s not doing it by committee, he’s not doing it by what the studio. He’s like an indie filmmaker but with crazy money."

The Odyssey is based on the eponymous poem by Homer, one of the two major Greek epics that have survived from the past. We recently saw a few behind-the-scenes pictures, which confirmed that Matt Damon is playing Odysseus.

Nolan's last film, Oppenheimer (2023), shone at the Oscars, where Matt Damon played Gen. Leslie Groves, with Cillian Murphy portraying the titular Oppenheimer and winning Best Actor. Murphy isn't in The Odyssey, so if this film makes it to the Oscars stage, Damon might have a shot at his first Best Actor award.

Besides him, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, and more are starring in the film, which is currently set for release on July 17, 2026.

The Odyssey is reportedly the most expensive film by Christopher Nolan

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According to reports first brought to light by Puck, The Odyssey has a budget of around $250 million. That means Christopher Nolan will surpass The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which was made on a $230 million budget. Although, the gross amount for the film was said to reach between $250 million and $300 million.

The Dark Knight Rises and its prequel both entered the $1 billion club; Batman Begins was nowhere close to this, although it was a success. None of Nolan's other films have reached the $1 billion mark, but Oppenheimer came close. It may become the third if we see a rerelease of the film.

The Odyssey should be anticipating this one milestone

Investitures at Buckingham Palace - Source: Getty

Homer's Odyssey is an epic, but Odysseus is a part of Roman mythology too. Looking at mythology-based films, the sequel to the Chinese film Ne Zha, based on the deity of the same name, is already presenting a serious threat to dethrone James Cameron's Avatar (2009) as the highest-grossing film of all time.

The Odyssey has lost the chance to become the first mythology-based film to reach the billion-dollar club. However, no other film based on an epic has achieved that milestone either. If the film manages to earn $1 billion at the box office, it will be the first of its kind.

Considering this is likely to be Nolan's highest-budget film and incorporates his indie filmmaking spirit—especially after John Leguizamo's interview—we can expect the film to perform well at the box office. Christopher Nolan is already ensuring that the details of the story remain as accurate as possible, which is one of the key aspects fans look forward to when his films are released.