From Messenia to Iceland: Where Nolan's Odyssey Came to Life

Header Image

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic was filmed across Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iceland and Scotland, with Matt Damon starring as Odysseus.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey takes viewers on a journey through striking locations in Greece, Morocco, Italy, Iceland and Scotland, supplemented by studio work in Los Angeles.

Filming for the adaptation of Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, took place over the past year and lasted 91 days.

The production was shot entirely using IMAX cameras, with filming taking place at sea, in mountains, caves and on beaches, ranging from Hjörleifshöfði in Iceland and Messenia in Greece to Essaouira in Morocco.

"By the end, we were all exhausted in a way I've never experienced on any other film," the Oscar-winning director told Empire magazine.

The palace of Odysseus and Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, was recreated both at Sony Studios in Los Angeles and on the island of Favignana, west of Sicily.

The imposing hilltop fortress on Favignana was used for exterior shots of the palace of Ithaca.