Nolan: “The Odyssey is analogous to rap music”

Christopher Nolan recently explained why he cast rapper Travis Scott in his upcoming film “The Odyssey.”

The upcoming blockbuster, an adaptation of the epic Greek poem, Homer's "The Odyssey," follows the story of Odysseus and his return home after the Trojan War, and stars Matt Damon in the lead role.

Tom Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, while the film will also feature Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton and Mia Goth.

Back in January, in a teaser for the film, Holland's Telemachus is interrupted by Scott, who silences the crowd and warns of the coming war.

“War, man, trick - a trick to bring down the walls of Troy,” he says as the trailer shows scenes from the great Trojan War.

Now, in a new interview with Time Magazine, Nolan has explained why he hired the rapper.

"I hired him because I wanted to point out the idea that this story was passed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap music," the director explained.

This is not the first collaboration between Scott and Nolan. The two collaborated back in 2020 when Scott recorded the song “The Plan” for Nolan’s film “Tenet.”

In an interview with GQ that year, Nolan had nothing but praise for the Grammy-winning rapper.

“His voice became the final piece of the puzzle we had been working on for a year. His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism that the composer and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound,” Nolan recounted.

Earlier this month, the full trailer for “The Odyssey” was also released, showcasing epic action scenes and a famous cast.

The film is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026, while tickets for individual screenings in IMAX 70mm format - Nolan's favorite - went on sale as much as 12 months in advance and sold out in less than an hour.