Matt Damon details mind-blowing experience on 'The Odyssey' set

In an era dominated by green screens and digital CGI armies, Hollywood heavyweight Matt Damon has revealed a staggering behind-the-scenes detail from his latest epic, The Odyssey.

During a recent promotional appearance, the Academy Award winner shared that the entire cast and crew were left completely speechless when director Ridley Scott bypassed digital visual effects in favor of raw realism—bringing 750 real military soldiers onto the physical filming set to serve as background extras.

The Cast’s Shock at Ridley Scott’s Massive Production Scale

According to Damon, walking onto the set on the first day of filming the epic Greek adaptation felt less like entering a Hollywood stage and more like stepping onto an active military base.

The actor detailed the sheer scale of the production layout:

The Authentic Vibe: Rather than using traditional background actors or replicating crowds digitally in post-production, the studio coordinated with local authorities to enlist hundreds of actual, active-duty soldiers.

The Precision: Damon noted that the physical discipline, synchronization, and commanding presence of 750 real military personnel instantly transformed the energy on set, forcing the primary cast to elevate their own performances to match the atmosphere.

The Director’s Vision: Legendary director Ridley Scott is historically famous for favoring practical effects and massive, physical sets (as seen in Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven), a cinematic philosophy that evidently remains fully intact for The Odyssey.

Why Practical Effects Still Matter in the CGI Era

Damon emphasized that the decision to use physical scale over digital manipulation had an immense psychological impact on the actors.

“You can’t replicate that kind of scale with a green screen,” Damon explained during the interview. “When you turn around and see 750 actual soldiers standing in perfect formation, the acting stops and reality takes over. The shock you see on our faces in the movie is entirely real.”

As anticipation continues to build for The Odyssey, this jaw-dropping production detail highlights the studio’s commitment to delivering a gritty, realistic, and visually spectacular historical epic that honors old-school Hollywood filmmaking on the grandest possible scale.