Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' to Film in Sicily, Homer's Legendary Location
Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of Homer's epic "The Odyssey" will feature a significant portion of its filming in Sicily, a region believed by scholars to have witnessed the wanderings of Ulysses.
The Sicilian leg of the production is scheduled to commence in approximately two months on the island of Favignana. This idyllic isle, known as "goat island," is thought to be where Ulysses and his crew landed to replenish their supplies. Favignana is part of the Egadi archipelago off Sicily's northwest coast.
Nolan, who is utilizing groundbreaking IMAX film technology for "The Odyssey," may also capture scenes in Sicily's Eolian islands. However, Favignana will host the bulk of the mythological epic's Sicilian filming. The film's other announced shooting locations include the U.K. and Morocco.
Italy's Wildside, a Freemantle company, is servicing the Sicilian portion of "The Odyssey," which Nolan is producing with Emma Thomas under their Syncopy banner for Universal Pictures. Erik Paoletti serves as the Italian line-producer. Wildside recently handled the physical production of Edward Berger's "Conclave" in Rome.
Confirmed cast members for "The Odyssey," a seminal text of Western literature, include Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. Specific role assignments have yet to be disclosed.
"The Odyssey" narrates Ulysses' decade-long journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War, encountering perilous adventures and mourning the loss of crewmates along the way. The epic features prominent characters such as Telemachus (Ulysses' son), Penelope (Ulysses' wife), Athena, Circe, Poseidon, and Zeus.