Matt Damon explains why IMAX made acting harder in 'The Odyssey'

Matt Damon is opening up about the unique challenge of starring in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey—a film shot entirely using IMAX cameras.

Speaking on the New Heights podcast, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem marks a major first in filmmaking. 

“On this one, it was 100 percent on Imax,” Damon said. “It was the first movie that was ever done all on Imax.”

That creative choice came with unexpected obstacles, especially during dialogue scenes. “Imax cameras are really loud. It sounds like a blender, like a Cuisinart in your face when the camera’s close to you,” Damon explained. 

“So there’s never been these dialogue [scenes in Imax]. We couldn’t have this conversation with a normal Imax camera because you wouldn’t be able to hear us.”

To solve the problem, the production team built custom equipment around the cameras. 

“They built this giant thing around the Imax for those dialogue scenes and a system of mirrors,” Damon said. 

“The amount of work that went into figuring out how to do [that], because he wanted to do 100 percent Imax, and he did it!”

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond previously confirmed that Nolan personally pushed for the challenge. “That couldn’t be done for a lot of reasons,” Gelfond said, adding that Nolan told him, “‘I’m going to give you a challenge.’”

The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Damon) as he faces mythical trials during his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. 

The film premieres July 17, 2026, in IMAX theaters and features a star-studded cast including Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and more.