Saying yes to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey required little convincing for Matt Damon, according to the actor.

Damon, who plays the Greek king Odysseus in the film, in a statement said, “I said yes before he even told me what it was. Chris said, ‘Don’t you want to hear the pitch?’ I said, ‘Okay, sure.’ And he said two words: The Odyssey.”

Damon said Nolan’s interpretation of the mythological tale left him in awe.

“It reminded me of his script for Oppenheimer, because that film was also drawn from a dense, substantial book, and he found an amazing way to distill it to its essentials without losing any of its plot, themes or richness.”

“Chris has restructured the narrative in an artful way that gives it real economy, and the themes he emphasizes give it a distinct identity and meaning. But it is still very much Homer’s Odyssey,” Damon noted.

“It also has a strong emotional core and through-line that feels deeply personal. There is a universality in its specificity that I think will move anyone. The themes certainly resonated with my own life. It was an incredible piece of writing,” Damon added.

For Nolan, casting Damon in the lead role was an easy choice, with the filmmaker saying he needed someone with “extraordinary talent and an incredible connection with the audience.”

“He was just in the right place in his life and career to play this part. Odysseus is somebody with great imagination and wisdom, but he has a weary quality, too. It is a mature role with a lot of complexity to it and very difficult to play, but Matt really sunk his teeth into it.”

The Oscar-winning filmmaker further said the movie was “unthinkable” without Damon, who earned his first Academy Award at 27 for co-writing Good Will Hunting with Ben Affleck.

“I needed someone who was not just willing to go on a rigorous journey but help lead it. Matt brings such positive energy to everything he does. He is able to channel the angst of difficult shooting circumstances into a character. He is an incredible motivator and a wonderful example to the rest of the cast and crew.”

Based on Homer’s epic, the film follows Odysseus (Damon) on a perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces vengeful gods, sea monsters and enchantresses as he struggles to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Holland).

The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely in the IMAX format.

Produced by Syncopy Inc and distributed by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely in the IMAX format. It is scheduled to release in theatres on July 17.