With more than $1.5 billion in box office revenue in its first two months, The Odyssey is the cinematic hit of the year, as well as proof that both historical epics and movies that run almost three hours, can bring in the crowds.
The Christopher Nolan epic was filmed on location in six different countries including Morocco.
Aït Benhaddou, a 900-year-old ksar (fortified village) near Ouarzazate stood in for the ancient city of Troy. Nolan built 60 temporary structures and hired mora then 2,000 extras for battle scenes depicting the Greek conquest after emerging from the Trojan Horse.
The incredible Trojan Horse scenes — the giant wooden creature washed by waves and partially submerged in sand — were filmed on a beach near Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.
That same beach is where Odysseus (Matt Damon) and his men finally departed Troy at the start of his marathon, decade-long journey to return to his home in Ithaca.
Other scenes were shot in Marrakesh, Agafay and Tahannaout.
The Moroccan portion of the production was based at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, a long-time base for on-location filming. It’s also interesting to note that Aït Benhaddou is another Hollywood veteran, having previously appeared in two dozen movies from Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator to The Jewel of the Nile and The Mummy (1999).
For those who want to undertake their own cinematic odyssey, Yadi Tours can easily arrange a Morrocco itinerary that includes any or all of sites that appeared in Nolan’s epic film.
