The Odyssey star Tom Holland said in a recent interview that some of the films he has starred in are “sh-t” and that it’s challenging to promote projects he doesn’t believe are good.
During an interview on the popular U.K. podcast Dish, where the actor spoke to co-hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett about his experiences embarking on globe-trotting promotional tours, he said, “When you’re doing press for movies that you’re really proud of, it’s really easy because when they ask you questions about why should people go and watch this movie, you’re not lying to anyone.”
Holland added: “I’ve had experiences before when people say, like, ‘Why should you see this movie?’ And in the back of your mind you’re like, ‘You shouldn’t. Because it’s sh-t.’”
Holland didn’t mention any films by name, but the British actor, who is promoting back-to-back summer blockbusters — currently Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, followed by the latest instalment of Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which releases July 31 — has starred in numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as Peter Parker, and in many other films, including Cherry, Uncharted and as Lucas Bennett in his breakout role in The Impossible.
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Speaking on promoting both projects at the same time, he said, “It’s felt really like a bit of a victory lap, to be honest. And I’ve really enjoyed it. You know, I’m super proud of both of the films.”
Holland, who plays Odysseus’s son Telemachus in The Odyssey, stars alongside his wife, Zendaya, who portrays the Greek goddess Athena. The pair will reunite on screen in the next Spider-Man film, with Zendaya reprising her role as MJ ahead of its July 31 theatrical release.
They appear among an award-winning ensemble in Nolan’s reimagining of Homer’s ancient epic, with Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Queen Penelope and Charlize Theron as Calypso, who star alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page and many more.
Holland also spoke on the “pleasure” of promoting Nolan’s film with Hathaway, which he described as “an awesome learning experience.”
“She’s such a pro,” he said of the Oscar winner.
The Odyssey has also sparked buzz for its use of newly developed Imax film cameras, which were created especially for the film, resulting in an exceptionally sharp image and high-quality sound.
According to the Guardian, Nolan used more than two million feet of 70-millimetre film for the feature, which runs just shy of three hours. Standard film cameras use about 90 feet of 35-mm film per minute, while Imax cameras churn through about 337 feet of 65-mm film per minute, the outlet reported.
Speaking on his ambition to make The Odyssey, Nolan told Empire Magazine, “As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven’t been done before. And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with – Ray Harryhausen movies and other things – I’d never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood IMAX production could do.”
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