Director Christopher Nolan filmed his epic "The Odyssey" across five countries, avoiding studios and digital effects in favor of real-world locations chosen to match the scale of his most ambitious production to date, according to details of the shoot.
Ithaca, Odysseus's ruined palace overrun by suitors, was recreated at Santa Caterina Castle on Sicily's Favignana Island, a 15th-century fortress perched 314 meters above sea level.
Cast and crew, including actor Tom Holland, faced a roughly 45-minute daily hike up a rocky path to reach the set.
For Troy, the production turned to Ait Ben Haddou in Morocco, a fortified UNESCO World Heritage city near Ouarzazate previously featured in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Gladiator."
The Cyclops scene was shot largely at Nestor's Cave in Greece's Peloponnese, above Voidokilia beach, where crews transported an 18-meter animatronic monster daily; actor Matt Damon and the crew also contended with a beehive guarding the cave entrance.
In Scotland, the ruined Findlater Castle stood in for Circe's island of Aeaea, where the witch — played by Samantha Morton — transforms Odysseus's crew into pigs; a replica house was built near the clifftop to protect the archaeological site.
The Kingdom of the Dead was filmed on Iceland's black sands at Hjörleifshöfði, while the island of Calypso, played by Charlize Theron, was shot at the white dunes of Dune Blanche in Western Sahara, a territory claimed by Morocco but designated a non-self-governing territory by the United Nations.
The battle with the giant Laestrygonians was filmed in Scotland's Culbin Forest, a 3,500-hectare woodland known for its biodiversity and hiking trails.
"The Odyssey," starring Matt Damon, is among Nolan's largest productions, already in theaters worldwide.