# Matt Damon explains how The Odyssey filmed the Laestrygonian attack practically, and it’s giving The Lord of the Rings

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/matt-damon-explains-how-the-odyssey-filmed-the-laestrygonian-attack-practically-and-its-giving-the-lord-of-the-rings/
- Published: 2026-07-21T10:14:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-21T11:36:58+00:00
- Original publisher: GamesRadar+
- Original article: https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/matt-damon-explains-how-the-odyssey-filmed-the-laestrygonian-attack-practically-and-its-giving-the-lord-of-the-rings/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- The Odyssey uses practical effects and forced perspective to create giant Laestrygonians rather than CGI
- Filmmakers cast stuntmen of vastly different heights (7+ feet vs. under 5 feet) in the same shots with strategic camera angles
- The technique mirrors Lord of the Rings' approach to creating mythical creatures through practical effects

## Summary

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey employs practical effects to create mythical creatures, notably in a sequence featuring the Laestrygonians—towering giants that appear dramatically larger than the protagonist Odysseus. Rather than relying on computer-generated imagery, the filmmakers achieved this visual disparity through careful staging and casting choices, positioning actors of contrasting heights in the same frame with strategic camera work.

Actor Matt Damon revealed that the production utilised stuntmen of extreme height differences to sell the illusion: extremely tall performers, some exceeding seven feet, were paired with significantly shorter stunt performers in the same scenes. Damon's own stunt double, actress Devyn Dalton, exemplified this approach. This technique echoes the filmmaking methods pioneered by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which similarly relied on practical scale manipulation rather than digital effects to create fantastical creatures.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.