Matt Damon had to break family rule for first time in his career while filming The Odyssey
Topics: Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Film and TV
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: John Nacion/WireImage
Topics: Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Film and TV
The Odyssey is finally out so all the actors, producers and directors involved can now have a bit of a lie down and watch the incredible numbers come through.
Christopher Nolan's latest movie has made a whopping $640 million worldwide so far, which comes off the back of an impressive second weekend where it generated $215 million.
That came at a bit of a cost for Matt Damon though, who plays Odysseus in the blockbuster hit.
Prior to the release of The Odyssey, Damon sat down on NBC's Today show to reveal shooting that the film led to him being away from his family longer than he would have liked.
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He also broke his family's 'two-week rule', which means they 'can’t be apart as a family for longer' than that time period, Damon told the Guardian in 2012.
However, Damon explained he was away for nearly double that for The Odyssey.
He told Today: "There was like stretches of like three and a half weeks, and we were just away from each other."
Going on to describe working on Nolan's film as a 'big sacrifice', Damon continued: "It was hard on us, and I’m so proud of the movie, but I’m so proud of them for really encouraging me.
"I feel like my whole professional life built up to this experience, and they really were really on board with me doing it, and I love them for that."
Damon's wife, Luciana Damon, and their daughters, Alexia, 27, Isabella, 20, Gia, 17, and Stella, 15, joined the actor at the premiere of The Odyssey in London in July, which he described as 'great'.
"It's great because they had to sacrifice a lot too for this," he told People. "I went away for a while, they came and visited, but it was a lot. It was a very long movie, very grueling shoot, and I'm really excited for my girls to see it tonight."
While doing the media rounds, Damon also reflected on how quickly his children have grown up, as he appeared visibly emotional seeing them at the premiere for The Odyssey.
"They're all having fun while I'm working, but I'm so happy they're here," he told Entertainment Tonight.
"Everybody's so grown up. Like, I got a real dad teary moment seeing them today."
Damon went on to say that it's been overwhelming seeing some of his offspring reach adulthood, though the overriding feeling is certainly a positive one.
He added: "Yeah, it's a lot. It's wonderful, but it's a lot."
The actor also revealed to People that prior to the release of The Odyssey, he planned for a bit of time off with his family before launching himself into his next big project.
"My decompression already happened," Damon said. "But we're going to Europe, we're going to do premieres in Mumbai, Beijing and Seoul. It's a big push."
Written: Between 725 BC and 675 BC, so more than 2,500 years ago
Based on a true story? Mostly no (cyclops aren’t real). Historians are unsure if the Trojan War really happened
Who wrote The Odyssey? Homer, but historians don't know much about him and debate if he is a single person or a group of poets
How long is the movie? 2hrs, 52mins - best go to the toilet beforehand
How much did The Odyssey cost to make? A cool $250 million
The Odyssey's box office performance so far: $639 million globally after its first two weekends
How long did it take to film The Odyssey? Principal photography took 91 days, so 13 weeks
Where was the movie filmed? The Hellenic Film Commission explained Nolan and co filmed at several locations in the Peloponnese, including Nestor’s Cave, Voidokilia Beach and Almyrolaka Beach, which are all on the island of Pylos; Methoni Castle, at a port town of the same name in southwestern Greece; and Acrocorinth, a monolith overlooking the ancient city of Corinth.
According to Vogue, filming also took place in Morocco, in Marrakech, Tahanaoute, El Haouz, Essaouira and Ouarzazate. The cast and crew were also spotted on the Sicilian island of Favignana, while they filmed in Iceland for the underworld scenes.
Continuing their whistlestop tour of Europe, the Odyssey team also filmed in Scotland, along the Moray Firth Coast and at Findlater Castle and Culbin Forest.
The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm vs normal cinema screens: Helpfully, the film's website shows different versions of the trailer in six different formats, all with different aspect ratios. You can see the difference between IMAX 70mm (warning you now, there are only 25 IMAX 70mm screens in the whole of the US) and the standard 35mm format.
The Odyssey is in cinemas now.