Christopher Nolan isn’t exactly known for doing things by halves, but The Odyssey might be his most ambitious project yet. Instead of relying on sound stages or endless CGI, the director packed up his cast and crew and headed across multiple countries to film almost the entire movie on location. Universal With a reported budget of around $250 million (£186 million), Nolan travelled across continents to find landscapes big enough to match one of history’s most famous stories. Here’s everywhere The Odyssey was filmed. Greece Universal If there’s one place the film absolutely had to visit, it was Greece. According to the Hellenic Film Commission, production took place across the Peloponnese during March and April 2025. The team filmed at Voidokilia Beach, Methoni Castle, Almyrolaka Beach and Nestor’s Cave, which is reportedly where the Cyclops scenes were shot. Given Odysseus spends the entire story trying to return to Ithaca, filming in Greece was always going to be a huge part of bringing the epic to life. Iceland Universal When it came to recreating the Underworld, Iceland was the obvious choice. Reported filming locations include the black sand beaches and caves around Hjörleifshöfði mountain, the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Markarfljót river and Landeyjahöfn harbour. Honestly, if anywhere was going to pass for the entrance to the Underworld, it was probably always going to be Iceland. Morocco Universal Morocco stepped in to provide some of the film’s most ancient-looking landscapes. Production visited Marrakech, Tahanaoute, El Haouz, Essaouira and Ouarzazate, including the UNESCO-listed Aït Benhaddou. The famous fortified settlement reportedly doubled as Troy, adding yet another blockbuster to its already ridiculous CV. The location has previously appeared in films including Gladiator, The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia thanks to its incredibly well-preserved historic architecture. Sicily, the Aeolian Islands and Malta Filming then moved to Italy in March 2025, with crews spotted on Favignana, also known as Goat Island, just off Sicily. Speaking to GQ, Nolan revealed the production filmed at the ruined Castello di Santa Caterina, where the cast and crew faced a daily 900-foot climb for two straight weeks while helicopters ferried equipment up and down the mountain. He described the experience as “a nightmare to make…in all the right ways.” The production also reportedly filmed across the Aeolian Islands of Lipari, Vulcano and Basiluzzo, before continuing to Malta. Scotland Universal The final stop was Scotland, where production headed to the Moray Firth Coast. People in Inverness spotted a full-sized wooden Viking ship docked in the city’s harbour during production, giving locals an early glimpse at just how huge this film was going to be. Between ancient castles, volcanic landscapes, remote islands and some genuinely exhausting filming conditions, the production went to extraordinary lengths to make Homer’s world feel as real as possible. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Universal Post navigation Next story
