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Matt Damon sheds pounds for “The Odyssey” debut July 16.

7/15/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Odyssey opens in U.S. theaters on Thursday, July 16.
Matt Damon trimmed to 167 lb and followed a gluten-free diet for the role.
Matt Damon said the shoot was the most challenging of his career.
His daughter’s “Dad, I’m proud of you” comment made the grueling effort feel worthwhile.
Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland join Matt Damon in The Odyssey, which was shot across Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Italy and Morocco.

History

Historical Context

In 2001 Peter Jackson released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a $93 million New Line co-production filmed throughout New Zealand that proved large-scale on-location shoots could succeed commercially. The success reshaped epic fantasy production and now guides Matt Damon’s 2024 film The Odyssey, which follows the same strategy of shooting on authentic foreign locations.

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Story summary

The Odyssey opens in U.S. theaters on Thursday, July 16.
Matt Damon trimmed to 167 lb and followed a gluten-free diet for the role.
Matt Damon said the shoot was the most challenging of his career.
His daughter’s “Dad, I’m proud of you” comment made the grueling effort feel worthwhile.
Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland join Matt Damon in The Odyssey, which was shot across Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Italy and Morocco.

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