Matt Damon Says Christopher Nolan Filmed a 60-Foot Cyclops Puppet in a Real-Life Cave for The Odyssey, Rather Than Just Relying on CGI

Matt Damon has revealed however Christopher Nolan depicted The Odyssey's Cyclops without resorting to 100% CGI.

Speaking via the Good Hang podcast, Damon revealed that the unit built a existent 60-foot gangly puppet of the Cyclops successful a cave. Unlike a mean movie accumulation which would bash each of this enactment connected a soundstage oregon successful beforehand of greenish surface with a CGI mentation of the Cyclops, Nolan did arsenic overmuch of it in-camera arsenic possible. The squad built a acceptable wrong of a existent determination known arsenic Psychro Cave, which is wherever Zeus is believed to person been calved successful Greek mythology.

"He does arsenic small peculiar effects arsenic humanly possible," said Damon. "You tin bash rather a spot without CGI. He understands what twelvemonth helium lives successful and has the implicit champion peculiar effects teams, they truly assistance effort to fig retired however we tin bash conscionable astir everything in-camera."

Nolan is champion known for his tendency to bash everything for real. He flipped a existent semi-truck successful the mediate of Chicago for The Dark Knight, enactment Matthew McConaughey connected wires and spun him astir successful a existent mentation of the tesseract from the extremity of Interstellar, and recreated the blinding blast of an atomic weaponry utilizing applicable effects successful Oppenheimer. Many wondered however helium would accommodate a fantastical communicative similar The Odyssey without relying heavy connected CGI and it seems similar they recovered a way.

Of course, Nolan uses immoderate CGI to enhance/support his images and blend applicable effects. It's an important favoritism to enactment that Nolan doesn't hatred CGI arsenic a tool, helium conscionable doesn't similar to usage it arsenic a crutch, particularly erstwhile he's afforded budgets that let him to bring it each to beingness connected set. It'll beryllium absorbing to spot and perceive however they brought different aspects of The Odyssey to life, but the Cyclops was surely 1 of the biggest questions for a batch of fans.

Nolan besides has a beardown affinity for IMAX and has ever wanted to sprout an full movie connected IMAX 70MM film. With The Odyssey, helium was yet capable to execute that vision. Previously, it was intolerable due to the fact that the camera was excessively noisy for dialog scenes, truthful it was reserved for large acceptable pieces and establishing shots. However, the IMAX squad developed caller instrumentality to suppress the dependable of the IMAX movie camera, allowing for The Odyssey to beryllium the archetypal ever narrative-driven commercialized movie changeable 100% connected IMAX film.

The Odyssey volition yet merchandise successful theaters adjacent week connected July 17th.

Cade Onder is simply a freelancer for IGN's quality team. He covers each things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You tin find him connected Twitter @Cade_Onder.