How Did The Odyssey Recreate Ancient Builds?

Christopher Nolan’s latest epic had to turn to tradies for support.

The Odyssey is predicted to be one of the biggest films of the year. That’s partially because it comes from the visionary director Christopher Nolan, whose work includes The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Oppenheimer and Dunkirk. It’s also because of the picture’s stacked cast with the likes of Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon all taking on leading roles. 

However, to truly recreate Homer’s epic, Nolan had to not only turn to real-life locations across the globe but also had to employ the help of an international team of tradies. These expert builders and craftspeople had the challenge of bringing Ancient Greece to the modern day. 

Trojan Transformations 

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures. 

The Odyssey may partially revolve around a great betrayal, the famous Trojan Horse playing a massive part in the plot, but the movie’s production also left locals feeling that things weren’t quite as they appeared. Because The Odyssey was shot in six key locations, including Greece, Italy, Scotland, Morocco, Iceland and the Western Sahara, with finishing shots filmed in studios in Los Angeles. 

Many of these locales already have some of the ruins and ancient buildings that one would expect from a fable such as this. However, more work had to be done to ensure that Nolan’s expectations of a realistic, practical set were met. To achieve these aims, Nolan employed hundreds of construction workers to create impressive structures, including the 10-metre-high Trojan Horse in Morocco and to secure pre-existing sites such as Findlater Castle in Scotland. 

Modern Mythology 

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures. 

However, some of the most impressive work was completed when crews were tasked with building augmentations to famous cities, like Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The team were asked to create a 360-degree expansion to the village, allowing it to look vast on camera. Ensuring that the transition from fiction to reality was absolutely crucial. 

Elsewhere, in Buckie Harbour, construction experts were tasked with creating real Greek warships made of wood, with Nolan refusing to use CGI as an easy solution. Woodworkers were allowed to show the finesse in their craft, as they embarked on their own heroic journey to get these pieces completed on time. 

The Odyssey is not just a celebration of Greek myth and ancient cultures, nor is it just a retelling of those stories for a modern generation. It is also a showcase of a construction industry that can quite literally bring legends to life. If you head to the cinema this summer to witness the spectacle for yourself, pay attention to what's happening in the background. Many of those incredible constructs had talented human hands behind them.