Greece’s Prime Minister Thanks Christopher Nolan for “The Odyssey”

Athens – 28 July 2026: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated British director Christopher Nolan on the theatrical release of his film “The Odyssey”. According to the prime minister’s office, Mitsotakis thanked the filmmaker for strengthening international interest in Greek civilization through his adaptation of Homer’s epic. The conversation took place via videoconference on Monday afternoon.

The tribute is more than a courtesy extended to a prominent director. Homer’s epic is a central part of Greece’s educational and collective memory culture. Its film adaptation offers the government in Athens an opportunity to link the ancient heritage with Greece’s ambition to establish itself as a modern cultural and media hub. Mitsotakis accordingly described the production as a bridge between historical heritage and contemporary art.

The project received institutional support during filming. According to its own account, the Hellenic Film Commission assisted Universal Pictures and Nolan’s production company Syncopy during the early planning phase. Filming took place, among other locations, in the Peloponnese, at Nestor’s Cave, Voidokilia Beach, near Methoni and at Acrocorinth. The Greek Ministry of Culture granted the necessary permits and imposed requirements to protect the archaeological sites.

Athens has been seeking for several years to attract more international film productions to the country. State support provides grants of up to 40 percent of eligible production costs. Since 2019, more than 140 million euros have reportedly been made available for Greek and foreign audiovisual productions. The government hopes this will generate work for film professionals, trades businesses, hotels and other local service providers. At the same time, internationally visible filming locations are intended to boost tourism and strengthen Greece’s position in the European film industry.

The French theatrical release has brought additional attention to this strategy. “The Odyssey” drew 232,972 viewers there on its opening day, making it the leading new release. According to the cinema industry, around 1.84 million tickets were sold in its first full week of release. This gave the film the strongest French theatrical opening of 2026 so far. The figure of around 232,000 admissions therefore refers to the opening day, not the entire first week.

In Greece, the production had previously sparked a domestic political controversy. The nationalist party Niki criticized the casting and state support for the filming. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni rejected demands that the state should influence the artistic interpretation of the myth. The conversation between Mitsotakis and Nolan signals the government’s opposite approach: it is banking on the film’s cultural reach and the economic benefits of international productions.