Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey brings together established collaborators and fresh additions, with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway cast as Odysseus and Penelope. Their son, Telemachus, is played by Tom Holland, the actor best known for portraying Spider-Man.
Nolan explains the decision in Filming the Odyssey: Inside the Making of Christopher Nolan’s Modern Epic, a behind-the-scenes book that includes a section on the film’s casting process.
Nolan wanted Telemachus to grow on screen
For Nolan, Holland had the right combination of youthful energy and dramatic range. The director says the actor could convey Telemachus’s early idealism, including his admiration for his father, before showing the character’s movement towards maturity, adulthood and a darker, more jaded outlook.
“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,” Nolan says.
Nolan also describes Holland as being at an especially suitable point in his life and career to take on the role. Holland is 30, while Telemachus is 20 in the film, although the actor has admitted that he initially believed the character was meant to be closer to 16.
Holland’s action skills were another advantage
The casting choice was not only about Holland’s ability to portray a young man becoming an adult. Nolan also highlights the actor’s practical strengths, noting his ability to absorb choreography, adjust fight movements in the moment and respond to direction.
Those skills would be valuable in a large-scale epic, even though Nolan changed one important part of Homer’s story. In this version of The Odyssey, Telemachus largely does not take part in the final bloodbath at Ithaca after Odysseus returns home.
Readers interested in the production’s visual development can explore the wider arcade news and gaming blog while waiting for more film and entertainment coverage.
A coming-of-age story at the centre of the epic
Holland sees Telemachus as a coming-of-age role. His journey begins with a young man searching for his missing father and develops into a story about identity, responsibility and protecting his mother.
“For me, as Telemachus, it’s a coming-of-age story,” 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.”
Filming the Odyssey: Inside the Making of Christopher Nolan’s Modern Epic is scheduled for an Aug. 25 publish date. The book also includes casting insights covering Damon, Hathaway and Robert Pattinson.
For readers who enjoy the craft behind interactive entertainment, RETROCADE’s arcade videos and arcade machine buying guide offer more behind-the-scenes and hardware-focused viewing.
Leave a Reply