Matt Damon says Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ set had ‘no special treatment’ for stars

Actor Matt Damon has revealed that every member of the cast and crew on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey was treated equally during filming, regardless of their star status.

Speaking to People, the Oscar-winning actor said there was “no special treatment” on the set, and the cast and crew were all treated equally.

“If you’re out on a boat in the middle of the ocean and you get caught in a storm, you get wet with everybody else,” Damon said. “Nobody’s getting a hot beverage that you’re not getting. Everybody’s on equal footing, including Chris, who was just as cold and wet as everybody else throughout the whole thing.”

He added that the demanding production brought the cast and crew closer together.

“So that made it feel like we were really all in it together, because we were. I do feel really bonded with everybody who was on that movie, cast and crew, because it was so challenging for everyone,” he said.

Directed and written by Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic and stars Damon as Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca. The story follows his decade-long journey home after the Trojan War as he faces mythical creatures including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the nymph Calypso while attempting to reunite with his wife, Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway.

The star-studded cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez and Mia Goth.

Produced by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas through Syncopy, the film was shot across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Western Sahara, Malta and the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles. With an estimated budget of $250 million, it is among the most expensive films of Nolan’s career and the first to be filmed entirely using IMAX 70mm cameras.

The Odyssey is scheduled to be released in theatres on July 17.