- Lupita Nyong'o is taking on two major roles in The Odyssey.
- Nyong’o will portray both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra
- The Odyssey is set to hit theaters on July 1
Lupita Nyong'o is taking on not one but two major roles in Christopher Nolan's ambitious new film, The Odyssey. The latest details about the project are giving fans a much clearer picture of Nolan's mythological world and Lupita's role in it.
According to a new Time profile on the Oscar-winning director, Nyong'o will portray both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in the upcoming epic adventure. Helen, often described in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world, is married to Menelaus and becomes central to the Trojan War after she is taken away by a prince. Clytemnestra, meanwhile, is married to Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother.
The feature also revealed a surprising creative decision by Nolan. Despite adapting one of mythology's most famous stories, he chose not to cast actors as the gods of Mount Olympus.
Nolan explained that he wanted divine presence to feel natural and immersive instead of literal onscreen characters. He told Time, “I became more interested in the idea that, to people in that period, evidence of gods was everywhere.”
Nolan added, “You want the audience to be on the boat with them fearing the ocean, fearing the wrath of Poseidon, the way the characters do.”
For the director, creating the feeling of storms, rough seas and danger through IMAX filmmaking was “so much more powerful than any individual image you can have [of a god].”
The film, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, is the first to be shot entirely in IMAX format. The massive production reportedly carries a budget of around $250 million. According to co-star Anne Hathaway, the cast kept things surprisingly simple behind the scenes.
“You've got Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, a slew of other very fine actors, me, and we're all staying in budget accommodation on a small island in Sicily because there's no indulgent nonsense,” Hathaway said, in the same conversation.
Adding to the intrigue of the fans, Nolan also had something to say about unexpected casting choices, including rapper Travis Scott, who plays a bard in the movie. He explained, “I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”
The ensemble cast also includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal.
The Odyssey is set to hit theaters on July 17.