Christopher Nolan Was Originally Hired To Direct Cult Historical Epic 20 Years Ago

Hollywood director and the filmmaker behind hits such as “Oppenheimer,” “Inception,” and “The Dark Knight,” has revealed that he was originally set to direct the cult historical epic “Troy” in 2004. However, Christopher Nolan was eventually replaced by Wolfgang Petersen, although the desire to work on a film set during that time period never left Nolan – leading to his latest project in the form of “The Odyssey.”

Christopher Nolan Almost Directed ‘Troy’

Nolan made the admission during an interview that was featured in the latest issue of Empire Magazine. He revealed that he was the initial choice to direct “Troy,” with Warner Bros. picking him after Petersen began work on a different film project. When that production fell through, Petersen returned to “Troy,” prompting studio executives to allow Nolan to instead work on “Batman Begins.” 

 â€œI was originally hired by Warner Bros. to direct Troy,” explained Nolan. “Wolfgang [Petersen] had developed it, and so when the studio decided not to proceed with his superhero movie [‘Batman Vs Superman’], he wanted it back.”

In the same interview, Nolan revealed how he has had a desire to work on a film set during the time period of Ancient Greece for a long time. “At the end of the day, it was a world that I was very interested to explore,” he said. “So it’s been at the back of my mind for a very long time. Certain images, particularly. How I wanted to handle the Trojan horse, things like that.”

“As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven’t been done before. And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with—Ray Harryhausen movies and other things—I’d never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood, IMAX production could do.”

The Odyssey Is Already Expected To Shine

Due to hit cinema screens in 2026, “The Odyssey” is a highly anticipated film that is due to capture plenty of attention. In fact, the movie is already breaking records, with advance screenings of the IMAX 70mm version having already sold out a full year before the official release. 

With a reported budget in excess of $250 million, “The Odyssey” is Nolan’s most expensive film. It sees Matt Damon take on the role of Odysseus, the legendary Greek hero who encounters a series of harrowing trials on his journey home from the Trojan War. The likes of Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson are also part of the main cast.

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