Last updated: July 2026
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is one of the most anticipated films of 2026: a sweeping adaptation of Homer’s epic, shot almost entirely on location with IMAX cameras rather than green screens. That commitment to real places sent the production across six countries and territories, from Moroccan ksars standing in for ancient Troy to the volcanic islands off Sicily.
Here’s the full, up-to-date breakdown of where The Odyssey was filmed, and which spots you can actually visit.
Want the mythic geography behind the story, such as the “real” Ithaca, Calypso’s island, and Scylla and Charybdis? See our companion guide: The Odyssey: Real Places Behind the Myth.
Quick Facts About The Odyssey (2026)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Release date: July 17, 2026
- Runtime: about 2 hours 52 minutes
- Cast: Matt Damon (Odysseus), Anne Hathaway (Penelope), Tom Holland (Telemachus), Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron
- Countries and territories filmed in: Morocco, Greece, Italy (Sicily), Iceland, Scotland, and Western Sahara (a disputed territory)
- Shot on: IMAX film cameras, on location
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1. Morocco: Ancient Troy and the Journey’s Start
Morocco anchored the production. Filming began in late February at Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar near Ouarzazate, whose mud-brick towers stood in for the city of Troy in the film’s opening sequence at the end of the Trojan War. It’s one of cinema’s most filmed locations, instantly recognizable to fans of desert-and-antiquity epics.
The crew also shot in and around Marrakech, the coastal city of Essaouira, and the areas of Tahannaout and El Haouz in the Atlas foothills. Together they gave Nolan a range of ancient-world textures: walled medinas, windswept ramparts, and open desert.
Can you visit? Yes. Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech, and Essaouira are all well-established, accessible travel destinations, making Morocco the easiest leg of the film’s map to retrace.
2. Greece: Voidokilia, Nestor’s Cave and the Cyclops
For scenes rooted in the myth’s homeland, the production shot in the Messenia region of the Peloponnese. Locations included Pylos, the medieval Methoni Castle, Almyrolakkos beach in Yialova, and the crescent-shaped Voidokilia beach, one of Greece’s most photogenic bays.
Most notably, the team secured rare government permission to film inside Nestor’s Cave, overlooking Voidokilia, for sequences featuring the Cyclops Polyphemus. Additional filming took place at the hilltop archaeological site of Acrocorinth in Corinth.
Can you visit? Voidokilia beach and Methoni Castle are open to visitors; Nestor’s Cave sits on the hillside above the bay and is reachable on foot.
3. Italy (Sicily): Favignana and the Aeolian Islands
By late March, production moved to the Aegadian Islands off western Sicily to film on Favignana, thought to correspond to the “goat island” of the poem. From mid-April to mid-May, water-borne filming continued across the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Basiluzzo, and Vulcano) for scenes set on the mythological island of Aeolia, home of the wind god.
Can you visit? All are reachable by ferry and are popular Mediterranean summer destinations, with Favignana known for its turquoise coves.
4. Iceland: Otherworldly Landscapes
Nolan turned to Iceland for its stark, elemental scenery, filming at Hjörleifshöfði, a dramatic promontory mountain on the island’s south coast surrounded by black-sand plains. It’s the kind of raw, primeval landscape that lends the mythic sequences an otherworldly edge.
Can you visit? Yes. Hjörleifshöfði is a known stop on Iceland’s south coast, near the famous black-sand beaches.
5. Scotland: Findlater Castle
The production also filmed at the ruins of Findlater Castle, a clifftop fortress on the Aberdeenshire coast of northeast Scotland, tucked between the villages of Sandend and Cullen along the Moray Firth. Perched dramatically above the sea, the sea-battered ruin added a rugged, Northern-European atmosphere to the shoot.
Can you visit? The castle ruins are accessible via a coastal walk, though visitors should take care on the cliffs.
6. Western Sahara: The White Dune Near Dakhla
In July, scenes with Matt Damon and Zendaya were filmed at the White Dune near Dakhla, in Western Sahara. It’s worth noting this location drew criticism: the territory has been under Moroccan control since 1975, and the UN-recognized Polisario Front, along with organizers of the Sahara International Film Festival, objected to filming there. We mention it for completeness and context.
Map Recap: All Six Countries
| Location | Country | In the film |
|---|---|---|
| Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech, Essaouira | Morocco | Troy & the ancient world |
| Voidokilia, Nestor’s Cave, Pylos, Methoni, Acrocorinth | Greece | Cyclops / Odysseus’ homeland |
| Favignana, Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Basiluzzo) | Italy (Sicily) | Goat island & Aeolia |
| Hjörleifshöfði | Iceland | Mythic wilderness |
| Findlater Castle | Scotland | Coastal fortress |
| White Dune near Dakhla | Western Sahara | Desert sequences |
Conclusion
Nolan’s The Odyssey is as much a travel wish-list as it is a film. By shooting on real terrain across the Mediterranean and beyond, the production turned Homer’s mythic map into places you can genuinely stand in, from the ramparts of Aït Benhaddou to the turquoise water off Favignana. If the movie sparks your wanderlust, Morocco, Greece, and Sicily are the most traveler-friendly places to start.
For the deeper story of where Ithaca, Ogygia, and the Strait of Messina really sit on the map, read The Odyssey: Real Places Behind the Myth.
FAQs
Where was The Odyssey (2026) filmed?
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was filmed across six countries and territories: Morocco (…), Scotland (Findlater Castle), and the disputed territory of Western Sahara (the White Dune near Dakhla).
What location plays the city of Troy?
Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar near Ouarzazate in Morocco, stands in for the city of Troy in the film’s opening Trojan War sequence.
When does The Odyssey (2026) come out?
The film is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026, with a runtime of about 2 hours and 52 minutes.
Who stars in The Odyssey (2026)?
Matt Damon plays Odysseus, with Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus. The ensemble also includes Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.
Can you visit The Odyssey filming locations?
Yes, most are accessible. Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech, and Essaouira in Morocco, Voidokilia beach and Methoni Castle in Greece, and Favignana and the Aeolian Islands off Sicily are all established travel destinations you can visit.
Was The Odyssey shot on real locations or green screen?
Nolan filmed on real locations using IMAX film cameras rather than relying on green screen, which is why the production traveled across six countries and territories.
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