Mumbai: Tom Holland has revealed that learning Robert Pattinson had joined Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey immediately put him at ease, with the actor saying he could “relax” because of the confidence he has in his long-time co-star. The two actors, who have previously shared screen space in The Lost City of Z (2016) and The Devil All the Time (2020), reunite in Nolan’s ambitious adaptation of Homer’s epic.

In The Odyssey, Holland plays Telemachus, the young prince of Ithaca, while Pattinson essays the role of Antinous, one of the principal suitors competing for the hand of Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway. Their characters share several pivotal scenes throughout the film, making their on-screen chemistry an important element of the story.

Holland praises Pattinson’s acting

Speaking during Entertainment Weekly’s Around the Table discussion alongside Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo and Robert Pattinson, Holland spoke warmly about working with the actor once again.

The Spider-Man: Brand New Day star said Pattinson consistently elevates every scene through his performances.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve left the set a better actor because he raises the stakes of every scene,” Holland said.

Their previous collaborations helped create a level of comfort that benefited both actors during filming, particularly given the emotionally charged relationship between their characters.

‘I could relax,’ says Holland

Holland also joked about Pattinson’s suitability for the role of Antinous, whose rivalry with Telemachus drives much of the conflict in the story.

“I knew when I found out that you were playing Antinous that I could relax because you’re so good at being a dickhead,” Holland said, drawing laughter from the panel.

In the film, Antinous is among the powerful suitors seeking to marry Penelope during Odysseus’ prolonged absence and emerges as one of Telemachus’ principal adversaries. The character even attempts to kill the young prince, making the rivalry one of the film’s central dramatic threads.

Star-studded cast for Nolan’s epic

Christopher Nolan has assembled one of Hollywood’s biggest ensemble casts for The Odyssey.

Alongside Holland, Pattinson and Hathaway, the film features Matt Damon, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Samantha Morton, Charlize Theron and several other acclaimed actors.

The film marks another collaboration between Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who previously worked with the director on Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet and the Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer.

The Odyssey is also being billed as the first feature film shot entirely using IMAX cameras, making it a landmark production in large-format filmmaking.

Holland on acting for IMAX

During the film’s global promotional tour in Mumbai, Holland reflected on the unique challenges of performing for IMAX cameras.

Drawing on his experience in theatre, including his return to the West End in Romeo and Juliet in 2024, Holland explained that acting for IMAX requires a different approach from both stage and conventional film performances.

He said performers must strike a careful balance between subtlety and expression because every movement is magnified on the giant screen.

“The other thing that you have to try and figure out is that there’s a big difference between stage acting and film acting and then I think there’s almost an equal difference between film acting and IMAX acting because there’s a subtlety that you have to bring just because logistically you’re going to be a hundred feet tall, which I wish I was, by the way, on the IMAX screen,” Holland said.

He added that discovering the right performance style for the format was an enjoyable challenge and praised the cast for adapting to the demands of the production.

Anticipation builds for The Odyssey

With Christopher Nolan at the helm and an ensemble featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, The Odyssey is among the most anticipated films of the year.

The adaptation combines Homer’s timeless epic with cutting-edge IMAX filmmaking, while the reunion of Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson adds another layer of excitement for audiences.

Holland’s comments underline the mutual respect between the two actors, whose previous collaborations have now evolved into one of the film’s most compelling on-screen rivalries.

As anticipation continues to grow, fans will be eager to see how Nolan brings one of literature’s greatest stories to life on the world’s biggest screens.