'Scotland offers rugged adventurous spirit of The Odyssey,' University of Edinburgh lecturer says

An expert has said Scotland offers the “adventurous spirit” of The Odyssey as filming for Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptation of Homer’s epic poem has been taking place in Moray.

Stars like Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya have been spotted in the area filming the upcoming blockbuster.

The film is described by Universal Pictures as a “mythic action epic” and is being filmed at Findlater Castle overlooking the Moray Firth.

As well as A-list celebrities, set pieces including Viking-style ships have been seen in the area.

Nicolette Pavlides, a lecturer in Greek Art and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, spoke about the accuracy of the pieces, saying the ships made her chuckle.

“The boats were interesting, from looking at the images, they don’t look like what Greek ships looked like at the time the story was composed or set,” she told STV News.

“I’ve heard Nolan doesn’t like using CGI much, so he might be using these models that are available rather than that, but the ships at the time of the poems would be very different-looking ships; it made me chuckle.”

Ahead of the film’s release, Universal Pictures released a picture of Matt Damon, who will play the main protagonist Odysseus, in costume.

Dr Pavlides said the uniform also doesn’t accurately represent the period of the story and looks more like a warrior from the classical period.

“The story is supposedly set around 1200 BC, and during that time, warriors looked very different. We know they wore boar tusk helmets from archaeological discoveries,” she said.

She added that it’s hard to say for definite how the armour should look, but said it will be familiar to the audience.

“I think for this film, the Hoplite armour is how the audience would expect it to look. It’s not accurate about what archaeologists would depict, but what the audience would expect, which is probably why the director chose it.”

Dr Pavlides said Nolan chose to film scenes in Scotland because of its “rugged beauty.”

“The story is an epic journey around the Mediterranean, filled with monsters and an unknown, wonderous world outside of ancient Greece and into the wilderness.”

“I do think that Scotland’s rugged coast and striking landscape give you a global perspective, and give the director the chance to create an immersive environment beyond normal Greek landscapes,” she added.

“The dramatic landscape it offers complements the adventurous nature of the story, it’s a way to show the adventurous spirit of The Odyssey.”

Nolan’s adaptation is slated to premiere in cinemas in July 2026.

The film boasts an ensemble cast jam-packed with stars including Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal.