Christopher Nolan Explains Casting Tom Holland in New Odyssey Interview

The Odyssey features a cast combining long-time Christopher Nolan collaborators with new additions. To play Odysseus and Penelope, Christopher Nolan and casting director John Papsidera turned to Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway to embody the filmmaker vision of the epic poem.

When casting their son Telemachus, Christopher Nolan chose Tom Holland of Spider-Man fame. In the behind-the-scenes book Filming the Odyssey: Inside the Making of Christopher Nolan’s Modern Epic, the director explains why he selected Tom Holland to play the prince of Ithaca. Polygon has shared an exclusive preview focusing on the casting process.

“He was able to tap into that boyish enthusiasm in the early parts, that idealism about who his father is, what’s going on, and then really chart that passage into maturity and adulthood and a little bit of the darkness that comes with that jaded quality,” Christopher Nolan says. “I mean, he’s in such a good place in his life and career to take on this part at this time.”

Tom Holland was 30 years old and had the right look to play the 20-year-old Telemachus, though Tom Holland has admitted he initially thought the character was around 16.

Christopher Nolan had a second reason for casting Tom Holland related to his Spider-Man movies. The director notes that Tom Holland has an incredible ability to absorb choreography, modify fight moves in the moment, and take direction. Ironically, Christopher Nolan changed the plot of Homer’s Odyssey so that Telemachus largely avoids participating in the final bloodbath in Ithaca after Odysseus returns home.

“For me, as Telemachus, it’s a coming-of-age story,” Tom Holland says. “It’s about a young kid from boy to man. It’s about this insatiable need to find his father and ultimately succeeding. It’s about protecting his mother. It’s about growing up and coming to realize who he is in this crazy world.”

Ahead of the Aug. 25 publish date, readers can explore pages from Filming the Odyssey: Inside the Making of Christopher Nolan’s Modern Epic for insights on the casting of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson.

Source: Polygon