Christopher Nolan's films are famous for having no CGI, and Odyssey is also full of surprising behind-the-scenes stories.
The film Odyssey has dominated the summer box office, surpassing 900,000 advance ticket sales ahead of the Liberation Day holiday. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network, Odyssey surpassed 900,000 advance ticket sales as of 6:40 a.m. As audience attention focuses on this cinematic blockbuster that proved the value of theaters, interesting production behind-the-scenes that lead to repeat viewings are being revealed and generating buzz.
#1. "A giant whirlpool faced by Odysseus and his sailors was created by stunt actors on jet skis!
The first behind-the-scenes story is the birth of the giant whirlpool that Odysseus and his sailors encounter on their way home. The giant whirlpool created by the sea monster Caribdis was, surprisingly, realized using jet skis. Actual stunt performers rode jet skis in circular patterns to create powerful sprays, and CGI was added only to the center of the whirlpool to vividly and realistically portray the movement of water particles. The overwhelming scene, completed by cleverly combining real shooting with minimal CGI, captures the audience's attention.
#2. "All the scenes were completed with real shooting" a chilling masterpiece of Circe completed with a pig animatronic
The second behind-the-scenes story is the witch Circe scene that shocked many viewers. Soldiers who came to Circe to get food are turned from humans into pigs by her magic, and this scene is known to have been realized by creating an actual model rather than CGI, which adds to the amazement. A rubber pig animatronic that can be directly moved and manipulated was used, and precise editing and camera angles were added to complete a chilling yet vivid transformation scene.
Samantha Morton, who played Circe, said, "All the scenes were completed with real shooting," and "that is the magic of film. There have always been magical techniques in film that deceive audiences in beautiful ways." Audiences expressed amazement at the scenes realized with actual models, saying, "I thought it just transformed, but they sculpted the face so delicately. The surprise point is that it's not CGI" (X_go***), and "They say they didn't use CGI for the Circe scene. That makes it scarier" (X_9s***).
#3. Did John Leguizamo, who played Eumaeus, actually block his eyesight? an all-time great performance completed with special contact lenses!
The third behind-the-scenes story is the character background of Eumaeus, Odysseus's loyal servant and swineherd. To perfectly portray Eumaeus, who appears blind in the film, John Leguizamo reportedly wore specially made contact lenses during filming. The lenses he wore completely covered the pupils to block vision, and John Leguizamo continued filming for 12 to 14 hours a day while visual information was blocked. His all-out performance, which went beyond simply creating the appearance to express the character's loneliness and depth, drew admiring reactions such as "John Leguizamo overwhelms with his acting throughout the movie" (X_RO***) and "his acting is godlike and insane" (X_25***).
#4. Why was he buried in sand wearing an oxygen tank? the secret hidden in Odysseus's encounter with the dead!
The fourth behind-the-scenes story is the filming detail hidden in the sequence where Odysseus meets the dead. In the scene where Odysseus talks with the dead, those who had been buried in the ground emerge one by one to the surface, creating intense tension. It is known that the actors actually entered the sand wearing oxygen tanks to shoot this scene, which astonished viewers. Audiences praised the actors' dedication to completing vivid scenes, saying, "I liked the scene where the dead crawl out, and I didn't know they put that much effort into it" (IG_gu***), and "They say they really wore oxygen tanks underground" (X_MI***).
#5. From the one-eyed giant Cyclops to the silver soldiers, realized with actual shooting rather than CGI!
The fifth behind-the-scenes story covers how everything from the one-eyed giant Cyclops to the silver soldier Laestrygonians was created without relying on CGI but through practical shooting. Contrary to expectations that the terrifying one-eyed giant Cyclops would be made with CGI, it was produced as a massive physical structure reaching 18 meters in height, surprising viewers. In addition, the silver soldier Laestrygonians were completed by hiring stunt performers over 2 meters tall instead of using CGI.
In particular, to create a contrast with the Laestrygonians, Odysseus and his soldiers were filmed using short stunt performers with forced perspective, producing an overwhelming scale as if facing real giants. This shooting method, which actively used real size and materiality, offers audiences a more vivid and immersive cinematic experience.
#6. From a massive 10.7m Trojan horse to a Troy set built on 3,100 pyeong
The sixth behind-the-scenes story is the production of the giant Trojan horse and the Troy set that recreated the entire city. The Trojan horse was built at about 10.7 meters to give viewers a realistic feeling rather than being excessively gigantic, and to depict it being pulled, ropes were hung without wheels during filming. Actors also filmed inside the actual Trojan horse, further enhancing the scene's immersion.
The city of Troy was also realized as a large set measuring 3,100 pyeong. From a huge Athena temple to stone steps and the city gates, real objects were created to maximize realism, and even olive trees were moved and placed by crane to add detail and complete the living city.
Because some structures actually had to be burned, the set was built with sufficient distance from existing structures, and delicate timing was used to film destruction scenes, such as making a set tower actually collapse just as Matt Damon turned back, showing great care in achieving realistic realization. Audiences praised the overwhelming scale created with actual sets and objects, saying, "The Trojan horse stuck on the beach is a work of art" (IG_cash***), and "Maybe because they shot without CGI, the visuals feel so genuine" (X_in***).
Meanwhile, Odyssey, which surpassed 900,000 advance ticket sales domestically, has become Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing film worldwide, exceeding global box office revenue of $1,104,804,890 (approximately 1.563 trillion won). It surpassed the record of his previous film The Dark Knight Rises ($1,085,429,532) to set a new box office record.
[Photo] Universal Pictures, Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network
[OSEN]