Nolan, Damon, Theron arrive in Seoul for 'Odyssey' press tour: 'Excited and nervous'

"I made this film with the spirit of inviting the audience onto the deck of a ship, up a mountain and into the cave of Polyphemus — to join Odysseus on his journey." — Christopher Nolan

Homer's 3,000-year-old epic has been reborn as a wondrous and sweeping story in the hands of Christopher Nolan, one of this era's great storytellers — a 172-minute voyage that carries the viewer along with it. It is the saga of Odysseus, a man called a hero, enduring a decade of trials through the wrath of the gods as he fights his way back to his family. Rooted in myth yet marshaling every tool, resource and top-tier talent Hollywood can offer, the modern blockbuster "Odyssey" opens for Korean audiences on Wednesday.

Nolan, visiting Korea for the first time to promote the film, said at a morning press conference Monday at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno-gu that he made "Odyssey" "with the spirit of inviting the audience to join Odysseus on his journey." He said he was "glad and happy to be in Korea with the film."

Joining Nolan at the event were producer Emma Thomas, Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, and Charlize Theron, who plays Calypso.

Nolan drew considerable attention from Korean film fans last month when he personally announced his visit in a handwritten letter. The distributor said the trip was arranged at Nolan's own initiative. At Monday's press conference, he made no effort to hide his delight at being in Korea or his excitement ahead of meeting fans.

"I heard that Korean audiences loved 'Interstellar' (2014)," Nolan said. "Ever since then, I really wanted to come to Korea. It's a wonderful and strange feeling when a country you've never visited loves your film. I wanted to bring a film there, talk with the audience and share what it feels like."

Damon returned to Korea for the first time in 10 years, since "Jason Bourne" in 2016. He arrived Saturday and visited Gocheok Sky Dome to watch a Kiwoom Heroes game, a moment caught on the broadcast feed that generated widespread buzz. "The cheering culture in Korean baseball — with each team having its own chants — was so interesting and fun," he said. "I was struck by the passion and energy of the fans."

Theron and Thomas also shared their excitement about their first official visit to Korea. Theron had already made headlines last year when she was spotted strolling through the Hongdae neighborhood on a private trip with her daughter. "I got to spend time with friends and eat a lot of great food," she said with a laugh. "I was also happy to experience Korean skincare."

Damon had previously worked with Nolan twice — in a supporting role in "Interstellar" and as Gen. Leslie Groves in "Oppenheimer" (2023) — but "Odyssey" marks his first lead role in a Nolan film. Reflecting on how he came to play Odysseus, he said he "thought it would be the greatest opportunity and the greatest experience" of his career.

"While we were shooting, I became convinced that everyone on set was giving everything they had to this film," Damon said. "Working alongside people so committed to the project — sweating it out together — was incredibly hard and, at the same time, incredibly joyful."

Theron, who plays Calypso — the mysterious figure who holds Odysseus captive on her island — worked with Nolan for the first time on this film. "I joined toward the end of production and was quite nervous," she said. "I had always imagined a Nolan set would be enormous and grand, but when it came down to it, the atmosphere was warm — it felt like shooting an independent film."

"Odyssey" has already posted a global opening of $264.06 million, surpassing "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) as the highest-grossing opening weekend of Nolan's career and tearing through cinemas worldwide. The production budget — about $251 million — is also the largest of any film in Nolan's filmography. With massive sets, locations around the world scouted over months of research and a cast of thousands, Nolan has brought to the screen a dream project he has carried for more than 20 years.

Emma Thomas, Nolan's partner and producer of more than 30 years, described "Odyssey" as "a film we poured everything into — one we made with fierce dedication."

"Making this film was a genuinely grueling process," Thomas said. "We shot all over the place for locations, and toward the end I just wanted it to be over. But then Nolan called the final cut, we all raised a glass of champagne together — and no one wanted to leave the set. Looking back, it was an extraordinary memory."

"Odyssey" does more than recreate the journey humanity has celebrated for millennia. Through Nolan's adaptation and direction, the film carries a powerful message that speaks to audiences everywhere, and reminds them why cinemas exist. Woven into it is Nolan's enduring belief in the collective experience that only a cinema can provide, even in the streaming age.

"What a film can give us, what a cinema can give us, is the experience of sharing a story with other audience members," Nolan said. "That personal yet collective experience is something only film and the cinema can offer — and I think it is all the more valuable for being so unique."

The director and cast closed the press conference by expressing their hope that Korean audiences would join Odysseus on his adventure and find their own ways to enjoy and connect with the story.

"I hope audiences take it in naturally and find the answers they're looking for," Nolan said. "This is a film that can bring joy simply as an adventure story. Please enjoy it."

"I'm excited and nervous ahead of the opening," Damon said. "Like Homer's 'Odyssey,' I think the film will resonate differently depending on where you are in your life when you see it."

Theron said she would recommend going into the theater knowing as little as possible and setting off on a new journey. Thomas said: "The message of connection and human bonds is a story that resonates just as much today as it did 3,000 years ago. I hope audiences come to the cinema and experience that sense of togetherness — a collective experience shared with all kinds of people."