By Matt Damon dedicated six months to the production of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s upcoming blockbuster. However, in spite of the demanding duty of portraying Odysseus, his “appreciation” for the experience remained constant, as reported by two veterans from Nolan’s team.
During a discussion with GamesRadar+ about The Smashing Machine, Damon’s co-star Benny Safdie and Emily Blunt from Oppenheimer (who is not part of the new project) shared their “chills” regarding Nolan’s 2026 rendition of Homer’s timeless epic, along with Damon’s still-obvious enthusiasm for having led the impressive cast.
“It was a phenomenal experience,” Benny Safdie states, who famously appeared in Oppenheimer as the deceitful Edward Teller and is returning for The Odyssey, where he is rumored to portray Agamemnon. “If I were to describe to you the magnitude of it and how it unfolded, you wouldn’t even believe it. It truly was extraordinary to witness this era brought to life in such a manner. It was astonishing.”
Though Blunt did not receive an invitation to reprise her role in The Odyssey (“Listen, Chris and I are gonna have chats, that’s what I’m gonna say,” Blunt quips), she mentions: “I’m so eager to see The Odyssey. I am, chills, for sure. I mean, Matt is still feeling gratitude for encountering something like that.”
“I would come in and out,” Safdie adds, “And I’d see him, and he’d genuinely have been immersed in the Odyssey. I would catch glimpses of him, yet he would consistently have this remarkable warmth and enthusiasm about what we were doing. It was just like, ‘This is the pinnacle.’
Blunt stars opposite Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine, the A24-produced biographical film on pioneering UFC champion Mark Kerr. Safdie took a behind-the-scenes role for The Smashing Machine as the film’s director and co-writer; however, his profitable second career as an actor has allowed him to feature in films by notable directors like Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Claire Denis. Furthermore, Safdie and Blunt share a scene in Oppenheimer, which features a memorable (and widely memed) moment where Blunt’s Kitty declines a handshake from Safdie’s Teller – an encounter that ensured Blunt was top of mind when Safdie was casting Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples.
“It was a fleeting yet significant moment!” Safdie chuckles, reflecting on their brief on-screen interaction. “I was considering who could embody Dawn, and I had noticed the profound friendship between Dwayne and Emily. I came to realize that this involves a complex relationship we’re about to explore, and to focus on that intricacy, it’s pivotal to establish a solid base of trust and camaraderie. It was only advantageous knowing Emily is such a remarkable actor. And in that instance [on Oppenheimer], I sensed it. So I didn’t need to do anything other than recalling how I felt.”
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