[Anchor]
World-renowned master director Christopher Nolan has visited South Korea for the first time to promote his new film, "Odyssey." Matt Damon, who stars in the lead role, accompanied him.
Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung brings us their firsthand impressions of Seoul and stories behind the movie.
[Reporter]
He is not a director gunning for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
He does not need the halo of that award.
In both box office success and influence, he is already at the top of the world.
Christopher Nolan has come to Korea for the first time.
He is here to promote his 13th film, "Odyssey."
[Christopher Nolan / Film Director: I took a walk along the Han River and it was wonderful, and I also tried salt bread, which was special.]
"Jason Bourne" star Matt Damon and "Mad Max: Furiosa" star Charlize Theron also came along.
[Matt Damon / Lead Actor in "Odyssey": (We went to a baseball stadium) and the energy generated by the fans was incredible.]
The two star respectively as the protagonist Odysseus and Calypso, the sea nymph who tempts Odysseus.
"Odyssey" has not yet opened in major Asian markets such as South Korea, China, and Japan, but its releases in North America, Europe, and other regions alone have grossed over 900 million dollars, or 1.3 trillion won, in just three weeks.
"Odyssey" is based on a classic that serves as the root of Western literature, telling the story of Odysseus going through all sorts of hardships over 20 years to return home after the Trojan War.
[Christopher Nolan / Film Director: I was struck by the fact that the world of Greek mythology had never been properly handled in a modern cinematic way, and that was exactly the opportunity I was looking for as a director.]
A major factor behind the film becoming a global phenomenon is that the entire movie was shot on IMAX film.
It is a world first.
[Christopher Nolan / Film Director: The reason I love shooting on large-format film is that it is the format closest to what our eyes see.]
Right now in the United States, "Odyssey" and "Spider-Man" are jointly breaking all-time weekend box office records.
As the film world in Korea and globally watches to see if "Spider-Sey" will emerge—much like 2023, when Director Nolan's "Oppenheimer" and Director Gerwig's "Barbie" simultaneous hit success gave birth to the portmanteau "Barbenheimer"—
(Video Editing: Kim Jong-mi, Video Reporting: Choi Ho-jun, Design: Hwang Se-yeon, Footage Provided by: Universal Pictures)
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