(Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Christopher Nolan's latest directorial effort, the Greek mythological epic "The Odyssey," recently unveiled new stills and interview content via the British film magazine Empire. In the latest installment of the interview, Nolan shared the original motivations that inspired him to create "The Odyssey" many years ago.
Nolan recalled that the genesis of "The Odyssey" stemmed from his regret over missing the opportunity to direct "Troy" over two decades ago: "I was originally hired by Warner Bros. to direct 'Troy,' which Wolfgang Petersen had initially developed. But when the studio decided to scrap another superhero film he was developing, 'Batman v Superman,' Petersen wanted to reclaim 'Troy.' Ultimately, I remained deeply interested in exploring that world. So it always lingered in my mind, especially certain visuals, like how I wanted to present the Trojan Horse."
(Image Source: Universal Pictures)
The "Batman v Superman" Nolan referred to was an abandoned Warner Bros. project from many years ago that never actually went into production. It was developed almost concurrently with "Batman Begins," which Nolan later directed. Nolan quipped that after "Batman v Superman" was canceled and "Troy" was returned to Petersen, Warner Bros. offered him "Batman Begins" as a "consolation prize."
Nolan also explained his other motivations for wanting to make "The Odyssey": "As a filmmaker, you look for gaps in film culture, for areas that haven't been explored before. And I realized that the great mythological films I grew up watching — like those by Ray Harryhausen — I haven't seen them presented with the scale and verisimilitude that an A-list, Hollywood IMAX-level production could deliver."