Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" tops box office after filming in Morocco

Christopher Nolan's epic film, "The Odyssey," has achieved significant box office success, leading the North American box office in its opening weekend. Globally, the film garnered $264.1 million, with $139.6 million from international markets, marking one of the director's best career openings. The movie, an adaptation of Homer's nearly 3,000-year-old poem, follows Odysseus's journey and his challenging return to the island of Ithaca after the Trojan War. Matt Damon stars as the Greek hero, alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. With a budget estimated at $250 million and a runtime of nearly three hours, the film was shot in various countries, including Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland, and Morocco. Christopher Nolan utilized Imax cameras for the entire production, a film format known for its unique resolution despite technical constraints. Morocco played a visible role in the film's spectacular reconstruction, with the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou in Ouarzazate province serving as the ancient city of Troy. In Essaouira, a large-scale sequence involving the Trojan Horse reportedly engaged thousands of extras, aligning with the director's preference for real sets and crowds over entirely computer-generated imagery. "The Odyssey" significantly surpassed initial estimates, outperforming "Moana" which earned $19 million, and "Minions and Monsters" with $14.8 million at the North American box office.