The Odyssey’s end credits just gave Christopher Nolan a career first
Plot twist: Christopher Nolan just added songwriter to his resume, with The Odyssey’s end credits revealing his first-ever songwriting credit on a track with Travis Scott.
Right, this story’s one for anyone who likes their Christopher Nolan news with an unexpected twist. After nearly three decades heading up some of the biggest films of the century, Nolan has just picked up a brand new credit to add to his CV – and no, it’s not another technical first. This time, he’s gone and got himself a songwriting nod.
Christopher Nolan: The Lyricist. (Yes, Really.)
The news first cropped up thanks to ScreenRant, who spotted Nolan’s name lurking in the end credits of The Odyssey – his massive, IMAX-powered blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s epic. Apparently it’s not enough for him to break cinematography boundaries, he’s had a hand in Travis Scott’s original end-credits anthem, 'When I’m Home'. Nolan is officially one of the lyricists.
If you’re thinking this sounds like a wind-up, you’re not alone. But actor John Leguizamo, who shows up as Eumaeus in the film, has confirmed it. He specifically highlighted Nolan’s unusual role among the writing team, saying, 'With Chris being one of the lyricists,' and while that’s not the full behind-the-scenes tale, it’s definitely the kind of offbeat tidbit you’d expect to come out in promotional interviews.
Who Did What on the Track?
Universal have now checked over the credits, and the official rundown on the song is as follows:
- Lyrics come courtesy of Christopher Nolan, Travis Scott, Ludwig Göransson, and James Blake.
- Travis Scott, Ludwig Göransson, and James Blake all contribute vocals.
- Göransson and Blake took charge of production.
As if that weren’t enough, Travis Scott also appears in The Odyssey in a small acting role – turning up as a bard who recites poetry about the Trojan War to weary soldiers. The studio hasn’t bothered to give his character a name publicly (because of course they haven’t), but he’s got a proper speaking bit along with his vocal cameo for the credits.
Stacked Cast. Big Technical Claims.
The cast for this thing is properly stacked, just in case you missed it: Matt Damon as Odysseus, Zendaya on goddess duties as Athena, Tom Holland taking a swing at Telemachus. On top of that, there’s Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and a few more marquee names the marketing team are no doubt saving for their moment.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a modern Nolan production without some sort of technical arms race. The Odyssey has the distinction of being the first film shot start-to-finish on IMAX using all-new 70mm cameras. No one else has done this before. Proof that people are hyped: the BFI IMAX in London moved a record-breaking 28,000 tickets in pre-sales, which is apparently twice as many as Dune: Part Two managed for its own opening. The UK audience is out in force, clearly.
The Odyssey is in cinemas 17 July.