Christopher Nolan and the cast of "The Odyssey" have spoken about the gruelling production of his latest epic, describing a 91-day shoot across five countries that pushed everyone to their limits. Nolan, known for big auteur-driven blockbusters such as "Inception," "Dunkirk" and "Oppenheimer," said the shoot was the hardest thing he has done, with cast members including Matt Damon recalling relentless conditions in Greece, Italy and Iceland that felt more like an expedition than a film shoot.

The $250 million, R-rated film, which also stars Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, opened on 17 July to strongly positive reviews and is expected to be one of the year's biggest box-office hits, having already taken $17.6 million in previews. Damon praised Nolan for enduring the same harsh weather and terrain as the crew, staying close to the camera throughout, while Nolan noted that although filming could have continued for several more days, cast and crew were physically unable to continue on the boats used for sea-based scenes.