Tom Holland Says He Thought He Was Bombing on Day One of Nolan's 'The Odyssey'

Tom Holland is opening up about the nerves that came with joining Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated adaptation of "The Odyssey," admitting that his first day on set left him convinced he'd made a poor impression on the director.

Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, in the sprawling, IMAX-shot epic, which is scheduled to premiere on July 17. The actor has described the shoot as a steep learning curve, saying that after his first scenes with Nolan he was certain the director wasn't happy with his performance — a fear that, by his own account, turned out to be unfounded.

Nolan, known for shooting on large-format film and favoring in-camera effects over heavy visual effects work, has built a reputation for pushing actors into physically demanding, immersive shoots. Cast members on previous Nolan productions have described a similarly intense adjustment period before settling into his process.

"The Odyssey" also has a personal dimension for the director: Nolan and his wife and longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, brought their own children into the production, though not for glamorous on-screen roles. The film adapts Homer's epic poem for a modern blockbuster audience, with a starry ensemble cast built around the story of Odysseus's long journey home after the Trojan War.

With its release date approaching, anticipation for "The Odyssey" has been building steadily, positioning it as one of the biggest cinematic events of the summer.