Why Robert Pattinson Didn’t Instantly Say Yes to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Robert Pattinson shared a funny story about the call he received from Christopher Nolan for the role of Antinous in The Odyssey. According to the actor, he told Nolan that he was eager to read the script Nolan had written for the movie. Nolan’s response probably caught him off guard, as the director pointed out that everyone else had immediately accepted the offer. Pattinson shared with GQ, “I was like, ‘Yeah, can’t wait to read it.’ He’s like, ‘You want to read it? Everyone else just said yes.’”

It’s no secret that actors are often willing to do almost anything for a role in a Nolan movie. Pattinson, who previously worked with Nolan in Tenet, may have simply been a little too enthusiastic when the opportunity came his way.

Nolan is well known for keeping details of his projects under tight wraps, and fans didn’t even learn that his latest film was The Odyssey until much of the cast had already been assembled. So while Pattinson’s request to read the script was perfectly reasonable, Nolan’s expectation that actors would sign on without seeing it wasn’t entirely surprising either.

Why Christopher Nolan Initially Kept the Script From Robert Pattinson

It wasn’t just Robert Pattinson who opened up about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey script secrecy. Earlier, Mia Goth revealed to Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she never read the script before accepting the role. For her audition, she read dummy sides that had nothing to do with the script. She shared:

It was also reported that the actors of the movie read Nolan’s script under strict supervision to avoid any leaks. Nolan’s idea of such aggressive secrecy probably stemmed from all the public discourse about the movie even before he completed a script. Interestingly, Nolan also maintained secrecy with his Oppenheimer script.

Robert Downey Jr. previously revealed that the script of Nolan’s Oscar-winning movie was delivered to him in a red paper in black font. He shared with EW, “I don’t want to complain, but it’s on red paper printed in black, which is kind of difficult, at best.” It is a common Hollywood practice for top-secret scripts, which makes it difficult to photocopy them.

How Matt Damon and Tom Holland Secured Roles in Nolan’s Movie

Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures

Matt Damon was almost ready to take an acting break to focus on his family when Nolan’s call came for Oppenheimer. He revealed to EW that he had made a deal with his wife to take a hiatus from acting, with the caveat that he would return if Christopher Nolan called him for a film. Nolan approached him for the role of Leslie Groves, and Damon immediately jumped at the chance. That supporting role eventually led to the starring role in this movie.

Tom Holland was also on an acting break until Christopher Nolan and the fourth Spider-Man film brought him back to acting. When Nolan’s offer first came, the dates clashed with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Holland did what he had to do not to miss a Nolan movie. He made a call to Sony Pictures boss Tom Rothman and asked him to push Spider-Man.

And Rothman complied, probably realizing that his biggest star working with Nolan would only boost his superhero movie. Sony was also confident in Nolan as a filmmaker to finish the movie in time. Holland shared with GQ:

Both of Holland’s movies are arriving in theaters just two weeks apart. The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17, while Brand New Day is set to be released on July 31. Holland will probably become the luckiest star to have two blockbusters in theaters at the same time.

What do you think of Pattinson’s revelation? Let us know in the comments below!

The Odyssey will arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026.