Tom Holland on The Odyssey shoot: 'It felt more like a re-enactment'
Synopsis
Tom Holland walked miles across a Morocco beach set — past thousands of extras, a Trojan horse, and real fires — before spotting a single crew member. His verdict: it felt less like a film shoot and more like a historical re-enactment. That one anecdote says everything about the scale Christopher Nolan has brought to 'The Odyssey'.
Key Takeaways
Tom Holland described shooting 'The Odyssey' in Morocco as feeling like a 're-enactment' rather than a film set.
He walked for what felt like miles before spotting crew, surrounded by thousands of background actors , a Trojan horse, and live fires.
Holland said the experience 'scared the s*** out of me' and felt like going back in time.
He joined the cast before reading the script, calling the offer a 'phone call of a lifetime'.
The film stars Matt Damon , Anne Hathaway , Robert Pattinson , Lupita Nyong'o , Zendaya , Samantha Morton , and Charlize Theron , directed by Christopher Nolan .
Hollywood actor Tom Holland has revealed that the sheer scale of Christopher Nolan's epic fantasy film 'The Odyssey' left him feeling as though he had stepped into a historical re-enactment rather than a conventional film set — an experience he described as both awe-inspiring and unnerving.
The Morocco Beach Scene That Stunned Him
Speaking to Extra, Holland recalled a particular shoot on a beach in Morocco where the production's scale became viscerally real. 'I remember we were on the beach in Morocco and I kind of got to where the set was and, you know, the A.D. said, 'Just keep walking that way and eventually you will get to the crew', and it felt like I walked for miles,' he said.
What greeted him was unlike anything he had encountered on a film set before. 'It was like a boat, thousands of background actors, the Trojan horse, you know, fires, and all this sort of stuff but no crew. Like, I couldn't see anyone so I keep walking. Eventually, I start seeing radios and equipment and stuff. That's like the opposite experience to what being on a film set is like usually. It felt more like a re-enactment than it did like a film set,' Holland added.
A Feeling of Going Back in Time
The 30-year-old actor, who is married to co-star Zendaya, described the isolation of that moment as something close to time travel. 'It almost felt like I'd kind of gone back in time and just, like, landed on this beach. It scared the s*** out of me,' he said.
Holland compared the experience to landing on a beach in the middle of a historical event, cut off from the familiar markers of a modern production. The admission underscores how Nolan's characteristically practical, large-scale filmmaking approach can blur the line between cinematic spectacle and lived experience for the actors involved.
A Cast-First, Script-Later Decision
Holland also confirmed that he signed on to 'The Odyssey' before he had even read the script — a decision he has since described as a 'phone call of a lifetime.' The film assembles one of the most star-studded ensembles in recent memory, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.
Nolan's Signature Scale on Full Display
Nolan has long favoured practical effects and real locations over digital substitutes, and 'The Odyssey' appears to push that philosophy to a new extreme. The Morocco sequence Holland described — with thousands of extras, practical fire effects, and a full-scale Trojan horse — is consistent with the director's track record on productions such as 'Dunkirk' and 'Oppenheimer'.
With the film now released, audience and critical attention will turn to whether Nolan's epic ambition translates to the same box-office and awards resonance as his previous work.
Point of View
Real fire, real locations — is now so extreme that even the lead actor can lose the crew in the frame. That is either visionary filmmaking or a logistical flex for its own sake; the box-office verdict will settle which. What is worth noting is that Holland, a marquee name who signed on without reading the script, represents a shift in how Nolan now attracts talent — the director's brand alone is the pitch. Whether 'The Odyssey' earns that trust is the real story to watch.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Tom Holland say about shooting 'The Odyssey'?
Tom Holland said the shoot in Morocco felt more like a historical re-enactment than a film set, describing how he walked miles through thousands of extras, fires, and a Trojan horse before spotting a single crew member. He said it 'scared the s*** out of me'.
Where was 'The Odyssey' filmed?
At least one major sequence was filmed on a beach in Morocco, where the production reportedly deployed thousands of background actors alongside practical elements including a Trojan horse and live fires.
Who is in the cast of Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'?
The film stars Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron, directed by Sir Christopher Nolan.
Did Tom Holland read the script before joining 'The Odyssey'?
No. Holland has confirmed he agreed to join the cast before reading the script, describing the offer as the 'phone call of a lifetime'.
Is Tom Holland married to Zendaya?
Yes. Tom Holland and Zendaya, who are co-stars in 'The Odyssey', are married.
