Christopher Nolan Explains Why He Cast Travis Scott in ‘The Odyssey’

Director Christopher Nolan is shedding light on his decision to cast rap superstar Travis Scott in his upcoming epic, The Odyssey. Nolan explains that the musician’s presence was intended to reinforce the film’s thematic roots in oral storytelling traditions, which he views as being fundamentally analogous to the art of rap.

“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan told Time regarding Scott’s inclusion in the project.

Speculation surrounding Scott’s role intensified earlier this year after a trailer for The Odyssey debuted, with fans pointing to a mysterious figure in the footage that appeared to look strikingly similar to the Grammy-nominated rapper. The film, which features an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron, is already generating significant buzz as the first feature-length movie shot entirely on IMAX cameras. It is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on July 17.

Creative Freedom and Cinematic Ambition

During the interview, Nolan also reflected on how the massive success of his 2023 film Oppenheimer helped pave the way for this ambitious project. The Oscar-winning drama grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide and earned several Academy Awards, granting the filmmaker greater creative autonomy. “That gave me options,” Nolan said. “And what had never really been done is a cinematic telling of The Odyssey with all of the capacity of a large-scale Hollywood studio production. It’s an odd gap in movie history.”

While Scott, who previously created a track for the soundtrack to Nolan’s 2020 film Tenet, is primarily known for his music career, he has steadily expanded his screen résumé in recent years. His film and television credits include Gully, Aggro Dr1ft, the documentary Look Mom I Can Fly, and appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Kardashians.

Scott also joins a small but notable list of musicians cast by Nolan over the years. David Bowie famously portrayed inventor Nikola Tesla in the 2006 film The Prestige, while Harry Styles took on the role of Alex in Dunkirk, marking one of the singer’s earliest major acting performances.