While not many details have been released about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming historical drama, “The Odyssey,” the studio behind it is making big promises.
Universal Studios’ distribution chief, Jim Orr, gave the film a rave review during an appearance at CinemaCon this week. He called Nolan’s adaptation of the classic tale “a visionary, once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would quite likely be proud of.”
While he delivered the line with all seriousness, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/christopher-nolan-odyssey-masterpiece-universal-says-1236358279/">Variety</a>, it did cause some audience members to break out in laughter at the idea. 
Orr went on to mention how Nolan “assembled a staggering all-star cast,” including big-time Hollywood players such as Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. Other stars involved include John Leguizamo, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Benny Safdie, Cosmo Jarvis, and Ryan Hurst.
So far, it’s been revealed that Damon will take on the role of Odysseus, king of Ithaca. None of the other casting choices have been confirmed yet.
The film is <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-movie-universal-pictures-1236179804/">described</a> by Universal as a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new Imax film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to Imax film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
The Odyssey by Homer is an ancient Greek epic that follows Odysseus on a long and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. The hero is forced to contend with mythical creatures, vengeful gods, and numerous trials as he struggles for ten years to return to his home, where his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, are waiting for him. Odysseus ultimately reclaims his kingdom by proving his identity and defeating those who tried to steal his throne.
Nolan’s last project, “Oppenheimer,” took home seven Academy Awards in 2024, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Cinematography, Film Editing, and Original Score. 
According to multiple reports, “The Odyssey” is rumored to be the most expensive film of Nolan’s career, with an estimated $250 million budget. John Leguizamo said during an interview with “Morning Joe” that Nolan was running the project like an “indie film.”
“Dude, you know the thing is, okay he’s got a crazy budget, it’s not small, but he runs [it] like an indie film because he’s not doing it by committee, he’s not doing it by what the studio says,” the actor said last month, per <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/odyssey-john-leguizamo-christopher-nolan-indie-filmmaker-b2720323.html">The Independent</a>.
“He’s like an indie filmmaker but with crazy money,” he added.

Christopher Nolan

Universal Exec Says ‘Homer Himself’ Would Be ‘Proud’ Of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ Adaptation

Universal Exec Says 'Homer Himself' Would Be 'Proud' Of Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' Adaptation

Entertainment

Hollywood

Matt Damon

Movies

U.S.

&#8220;Oppenheimer&#8221; star Cillian Murphy conceded during a recent interview that his costar, Oscar-winning actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Damon</a>, was probably justified in calling him &#8220;the worst dinner companion imaginable.&#8221;
Murphy, who played the title role in the Christopher Nolan-directed historical drama, told &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; host Scott Pelley that — at least while they were still filming — he had probably been more interested in staying in character and getting enough sleep than he was in entertaining at dinner.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Matt Damon says, &quot;Cillian is the worst dinner companion imaginable.&quot; Hear Cillian Murphy&#39;s reaction. <a href="https://t.co/FNkS0GJWQC">https://t.co/FNkS0GJWQC</a> <a href="https://t.co/a2UkC9xlNF">pic.twitter.com/a2UkC9xlNF</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1759548383763525706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Pelley put the question to Murphy directly, saying, &#8220;Matt Damon told me that &#8216;Cillian is the worst dinner companion imaginable.'&#8221;
Murphy laughed, and Pelley explained: &#8220;What he meant by that was when you&#8217;re working on a film — when you&#8217;re being the character — there&#8217;s very little room in your head for anything else.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, I mean, I&#8217;ve always been like that, I think,&#8221; Murphy said, still laughing. &#8220;But it&#8217;s because, to me, you have the time on set, which is short enough time — you have 10 hours, maybe. And then the other part, if you&#8217;ve got a significant part, you&#8217;re having to keep your lines fresh.&#8221;
&#8220;And then the other big thing for me is sleeping. I love sleeping and I need sleep,&#8221; Murphy continued. He went on to explain that in the weeks after filming wrapped, he and Damon had eaten together on a number of occasions while promoting the film: &#8220;lots of lovely dinners.&#8221;
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&#8220;At the time, yeah, you just don&#8217;t have the room, like you say, in your head, and you want as much sleep as possible,&#8221; he said.
Murphy&#8217;s dedication to craft appears to have paid off — his turn in &#8220;Oppenheimer&#8221; earned him his first <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15398776/awards/?ref_=tt_awd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Academy Award nomination</a> in the Best Actor category. He already won in that same category at the 2024 Golden Globes and the 2024 BAFTA Awards in London. Costars Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt were also nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories, respectively. The film is nominated for Best Picture, and Nolan is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Directing as well, among 13 nominations total.

2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards – Red Carpet Arrivals

‘Oppenheimer’ Star Explains Why Matt Damon Called Him ‘The Worst Dinner Companion Imaginable’

'Oppenheimer' Star Explains Why Matt Damon Called Him 'The Worst Dinner Companion Imaginable'

60 Minutes

Celebrities

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-damon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Damon</a> talked about locking lips with actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scarlett-johansson-slams-nasty-outrageous-rumor-about-where-shes-reportedly-had-sex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarlett Johansson</a> on the set of their 2011 movie &#8220;We Bought a Zoo&#8221; and why it was &#8220;hell.&#8221;
During the 52-year-old actor&#8217;s recent interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ujKZGgP8o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LADbible TV</a>, Damon and actress Emily Blunt answered the question about whether a person should be told they have stinky breath. The &#8220;Air&#8221; star revealed that he could forgive a costar some halitosis, but a smelly sandwich was possibly going too far.
&#8220;I had to kiss Scarlett Johansson — can you imagine how horrible that was for me?&#8221; Damon said. &#8220;It was hell!&#8221;
&#8220;No, what happened was, we did a shot before lunch and it was this nice little two-shot that ended in the kiss. And it was really good,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And we went to lunch, and she and I both thought it was over. She ate, like, an onion sandwich.&#8221;
After lunch, &#8220;The Martian&#8221; star said the director Cameron Crowe &#8220;had set the camera up, and it was like a tight shot of the kiss.&#8221;
Damon said when [Johansson] came in she saw this and &#8220;goes, &#8216;Ah sh*t! I literally just had an onion sandwich!'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Matt Damon says ‘it was hell’ kissing Scarlett Johansson <a href="https://t.co/KkwgethH3U">https://t.co/KkwgethH3U</a> <a href="https://t.co/c3q1lQZSeb">pic.twitter.com/c3q1lQZSeb</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1683874622385664004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I thought we did this,&#8221; the actress added, according to Damon.
The &#8220;Oppenheimer&#8221; star said he was not pleased about it and was &#8220;making fun of her the entire time about her onion breath.&#8221;
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The segment ended with Damon saying he didn&#8217;t actually smell &#8220;her onion breath&#8221; because her &#8220;breath smells like roses,&#8221; as he busted up laughing with Blunt.
The &#8220;Jason Bourne&#8221; star later mocked Blunt when it came to the question about whether or not British food was better than American food.
While the &#8220;Mary Poppins Returns&#8221; star strongly agreed, Damon replied no and told the actress &#8220;Do you know you [British] are known for having horrible food?&#8221;
Blunt then took a dig at classic American food like &#8220;cheeseburgers and nuggets.&#8221; Damon reminded her that in America we are a melting pot and get all the best food the world has to offer right here, not just &#8220;fried&#8221; food.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matt-damon-says-he-fell-into-a-depression-while-filming-a-movie-what-have-i-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Damon Says He &#8216;Fell Into A Depression&#8217; While Filming A Movie: &#8216;What Have I Done?&#8217;</a>

Scarlett Johansson, Matt Damon-1

Matt Damon Reveals Why Kissing Scarlett Johansson Was ‘Hell’

Matt Damon On Why Kissing Scarlett Johansson Was ‘Hell’

Scarlett Johansson

Academy Award-winning actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-damon">Matt Damon</a> said he promised his wife he’d take a break from acting on one condition: he’d have to reconsider if legendary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">filmmaker</a> Christopher Nolan offered him a part.
The 52-year-old father of four stars in Nolan’s highly anticipated historical drama, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Oppenheimer</a>,” which debuts July 21. During an <a href="https://ew.com/movies/oppenheimer-matt-damon-time-off-caveat-christopher-nolan-cillian-murphy/?utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_entertainmentweekly&amp;utm_content=new&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_term=64b598d6a756b90001e2e609">interview</a> with Entertainment Weekly, he explained that he didn’t technically break his promise when he accepted the role.
“This is going to sound made up, but it’s actually true,” Damon told the outlet. “I had — not to get too personal — negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in ‘Interstellar’ and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasn’t in the rotation, but I actually negotiated in couples therapy ­— this is a true story — the one caveat to my taking time off was if Chris Nolan called.”
“This is without knowing whether or not he was working on anything, because he never tells you. He just calls you out of the blue. And so, it was a moment in my household,” the actor said.
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Nolan offered Damon the part of Leslie Groves, director of The Manhattan Project, opposite Cillian Murphy playing the titular star. Murphy said he was equally surprised to be offered the opportunity. 
“He’s so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, ‘Listen, I’ve written this script, it’s about Oppenheimer. I’d like you to be my Oppenheimer,’” Murphy told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-cillian-murphy-christopher-nolan-9b162a6d378d2e27fd718aa4f4d57a1a">Associated Press</a> during an interview in May. “It was a great day… We have this long-standing understanding and trust and shorthand and respect. It felt like the right time to take on a bigger responsibility. And it just so happened that it was a huge one.”
Damon <a href="https://people.com/movies/who-is-luciana-barroso-matt-damon-wife/">married</a> longtime girlfriend, Argentine-born Luciana Bozán Barroso, in December 2005. She is not part of the entertainment industry and has no social media presence. The couple met while Damon was filming “Stuck On You” in Miami, where Barroso worked as a bartender. 
They have four daughters together.

The Informant!: Red Carpet – 66th Venice Film Festival

Matt Damon Promised Wife He’d Take Acting Break ‘Unless Nolan Called.’ Then He Did.

Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-damon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Damon</a> said he became disheartened upon discovering that one of his many film projects wasn’t what he thought it would be.
The “Good Will Hunting” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">star</a> didn’t mention the film’s title, but instead described how it affected him to spend time away from family working on something he didn’t believe was worth it.
“Without naming any particular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">movies</a> … sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” Damon said during an episode of YouTube series “Jake’s Takes,” per <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/matt-damon-depression-movie-1234883214/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IndieWire</a>. 
“And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember my wife [Luciana Barroso] pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, what have I done?” he continued.
Damon said his wife was the one who gave him perspective about the situation. “[Luciana] just said, ‘We’re here now.’ You know, and it was like … I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor, and what being a professional actor means is you go and you do the 15-hour day and give it absolutely everything, even in what you know is going to be a losing effort. And if you can do that with the best possible attitude, then you’re a pro, and she really helped me with that.”
The 52-year-old movie star will appear in Christopher Nolan&#8217;s highly anticipated historical drama “Oppenheimer,” which premieres July 21. 
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He <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/oppenheimer-stars-matt-damon-emily-blunt-neighbors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke with</a> Fox News about how he approached the role of Gen. Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project. “I started researching and thinking about playing this character,&#8221; he said. 
&#8220;It was really amazing learning about what they did and how they did it.… Gen. Groves was a brilliant guy and not well-liked at all by the scientists because there was this constant tension between the military and the scientists.… There was this real tension that I think the script… covered really very, very well.&#8221;

Matt Damon Says He ‘Fell Into A Depression’ While Filming A Movie: ‘What Have I Done?’

Matt Damon Says He 'Fell Into A Depression' While Filming A Movie: 'What Have I Done?'

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-damon">Matt Damon</a> doesn’t understand why fans have to decide between seeing “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” when they can go see both.
The actor recently referenced the controversy, which has been going on since it was announced that both major <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">theatrical releases</a> from Universal and Warner Bros. would happen on July 21. Social media users seem to think that means battle lines are drawn, but the “Good Will Hunting” alum says the rivalry shouldn’t exist at all.
“This is the first I’m hearing about it, actually. I haven’t paid any attention to that,” Matt Damon told <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/matt-damon-oppenheimer-barbie">Vanity Fair</a> about the debate. “People are allowed to go see two movies in a weekend. ‘Oppenheimer’ is one of them!”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">audiences</a> for each film don’t necessarily have much overlap. The fantasy-comedy “Barbie,” directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the summer. The synopsis of the film says, “After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness.”
Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer” details the true story of General Leslie Groves (Damon), the director of the Manhattan Project who appointed J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to develop the atomic bomb, which would end World War II. 
“Groves was a military man, and so much of that ethos is about compartmentalization and the need to know all of the stuff,” Damon told the publication during a Zoom interview. 
“And the scientists were all about sharing information so that they can get the truth right … there was this constant tension. The scientists felt it was actually necessary to be sharing all the information that they could, and the military felt we had to try to make whatever gains we could without giving away any of our secrets.”
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Damon, who has four daughters, said it’s possible he’ll be one of those moviegoers forced to see both movies that weekend.
“I’ll have to ask them that,” the actor said when asked if he thought his family would pick “Barbie” over his historical drama. “If that’s the case, they’ll see two movies that weekend!”

Matt Damon Addresses ‘Barbie’ Versus ‘Oppenheimer’ Premiere Showdown: ‘People Are Allowed To Go See Two Movies In A Weekend’

Matt Damon Addresses 'Barbie' Versus 'Oppenheimer' Premiere Showdown

George Clooney revealed this week that two Hollywood A-list actors slammed the door in his face when he approached them about starring in the blockbuster 2001 movie &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Eleven.&#8221;
&#8220;Some very famous people told us to f*** right off,&#8221; Clooney <a href="https://parade.com/news/george-clooney-blasts-johnny-depp-mark-wahlberg-rejecting-oceans-eleven-movie-role">said</a> during an interview at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival via Entertainment Weekly. &#8220;Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There were others. They regret it now. I regret doing f***ing ‘Batman.’&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s also important to understand where we were at the time,&#8221; Clooney added. &#8220;The studios were making very big, broad, not very good films at that time. Steven had this idea of trying to infuse all of this independent film stuff that all of these young filmmakers were learning back into the studio system. It was going to get back to the things that they were doing from, like, 1964 to 1975.&#8221;
&#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Eleven&#8221; featured a star-studded cast, including Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, Qin Shaobo, Don Cheadle, and Carl Reiner.
Wahlberg and Depp were reportedly approached about playing the role of Linus Caldwell — which was later filled by Damon.
&#8220;Ocean’s Eleven&#8221; director Steven Soderbergh confirmed during the interview that they were turned down by some major talent.
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&#8220;Steven [Soderbergh] had just done ‘Erin Brockovich’ and ‘Traffic,’ and he was nominated for directing both films,&#8221; Clooney said. &#8220;So, people really wanted to work with Steven.&#8221;
The film&#8217;s success led to three additional films, &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Twelve,&#8221; &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Thirteen,&#8221; and &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Eight.&#8221;
&#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Twelve&#8221; and &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Thirteen&#8221; feature the same cast as &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Eleven,&#8221; while &#8220;Ocean&#8217;s Eight&#8221; features a female cast led by actress Sandra Bullock, who plays the role of Danny Ocean&#8217;s (Clooney) sister.

2023 TCM Classic Film Festival Day 2 – Friday

George Clooney Reveals 2 Big Hollywood Stars Told Him To ‘F*** Right Off’ When Offered Roles In ‘Ocean’s Eleven’

George Clooney Reveals 2 Big Hollywood Stars Told Him To 'F*** Right Off' When Offered Roles In 'Ocean's Eleven'

Brad Pitt

George Clooney

Johnny Depp

Mark Wahlberg

Hollywood rarely flexes its soft power muscles these days.
Studios once extolled the glories of the Founding Fathers, rallied the troops during times of war and otherwise exported tales of American exceptionalism.
Now, if a studio has a message to send, it’s often pointing out the country’s flaws, be it slavery’s enduring stain (“Till”), gender discrimination (“She Said”) or corporate greed (“The Wolf of Wall Street&#8221;).
And that product gets shipped around the globe.
It’s why “Air” feels like a movie made during a different era.
The true story behind the Air Jordan sneaker that revolutionized sports marketing comes from a curious source – progressive superstars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
The Boston buddies crashed Hollywood with 1997’s “Good Will Hunting,” and their friendship remains intact. Their latest collaboration, following the 2021 box office dud “The Last Duel,” recalls Nike attempt to lure rookie Michael Jordan into its endorsement arms, and the precarious negotiations that sealed the deal.
“Air” tracks how a Nike executive named Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) convinced Jordan’s mother (Viola Davis) to weigh the company’s pitch over similar pleas from Converse and Adidas. The latter were the go-to sneakers for ‘80s era basketball giants, and Damon’s character needed to change that thinking or suffer the consequences.
He could lose both his job and professional clout if his sales pitch falls flat. His hunch tells him it’s the right move, though, and he can’t ignore his gut. What’s comical is how Damon gained weight for the role, inflating said gut to make him far less athletic than the stars he pursues.
Sonny turns to Nike CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) for help. He needs cash to dangle in front of Team Jordan, but the guru-like Knight isn’t initially sold on the pitch.
We all know what happened next. The Air Jordan sneaker became a sensation that endures even today, and Jordan became the greatest basketball player of his generation — if not of all time.
“Air” delivers nostalgia, colorful characters, and a can’t-miss narrative based on actual events. That’s not the only story in play.
The drama is a love letter to American capitalism, acknowledging the risks many face when they dream big. Courage, faith, and grit can yield substantial results, and you don’t need a killer jump shot to make it happen.
Sonny is the story’s hero, alongside co-conspirators played by Chris Tucker and Jason Bateman. They know Sonny is attempting a Hail Mary pass, to mix sports metaphors, but they’re betting everything they have that he just might score a touchdown.
There’s a moment late in the film where most moviegoers will expect a woke detour. Mrs. Jordan is mulling the Nike offer, and she knows her son’s value off and on the court.
Here comes &#8216;The Lecture™&#8217;, the moment when a Hollywood film uncorks a monologue about the racial inequities in play, the country’s tragic past, and the imbalances within the western financial scene.
Instead, Davis’ character reminds Sonny of her son’s worth, and skill, and why signing him will be a win-win scenario.
No lecture. No attempt to guilt Sonny into a deal via racial discrimination. It’s all about merit and getting paid what you’re due.
Alex Convery’s screenplay never wags its finger at Nike, corporate greed, or capitalism’s inevitable inequities. Instead, it praises ingenuity, guile, and perseverance. Sonny works ‘round the clock to seal the deal, as do several colleagues.
And, when the chips are down, they turn to Nike’s sneaker guru (Matt Maher) to turn their vision into reality.
Not every capitalist sinks the winning shot, of course. Many dreamers watch their hopes dashed by reality. Others fail and fail again before crafting their success story.
One wrong word from Mama Jordan, and we’d be wearing Michael Jordan kicks from Adidas today.
The system rewards bold and courageous souls who believe in their ability to defy the odds. The latter is personified on-screen by Chris Messina, stealing the film as Jordan’s cranky agent.
“Air” doesn’t diminish the free market. It celebrates it without question or hand wringing. The film is generating mostly raves from professional critics, too, save a nasty swipe from <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/17/air-movie-review-paint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Yorker</a> due to its fiscal framing.
<blockquote>This movie, in short, kneels at the altar of high capitalism.</blockquote>
It’s important to remember how left of center the film’s stars remain. Damon famously played, and mercilessly mocked, future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the height of the 2018 confirmation hearings.
Affleck once told Playboy Magazine he’s <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ben-affleck-has-a-hard-time-watching-republican-actors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncomfortable watching Republican actors</a>.
<blockquote>When I watch a guy I know is a big Republican, part of me thinks, I probably wouldn’t like this person if I met him, or we would have different opinions. That s*** fogs the mind when you should be paying attention and be swept into the illusion.</blockquote>
It’s not the first time the Affleck-Damon pairing took a pragmatic approach to their art. The duo collaborated on Project Greenlight, a docuseries meant to foster young filmmakers. 
The show, which ran for four seasons and is being rebooted by actress/producer Issa Rae, followed indie filmmakers attempting to make a movie. Affleck and Damon co-produced the show, and their collective star wattage powered it above and beyond your average docuseries.
They knew better than anyone what it takes to beat the Hollywood odds, and they wanted to share those lessons with others.
The series didn’t launch any new superstars, but several of the directors in question enjoyed modest careers following their show appearance. It likely inspired more than a few wannabe directors watching at home to give filmmaking a try.
Chances are someone will see “Air,” note how the main characters gambled on their guts … and won. That’s soft power in real time, an American sentiment worth sharing both here and across the globe.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2023 SXSW Conference And Festival – Day 9

Affleck, Damon Deliver With ‘Air,’ A Pro-Capitalism Three-Pointer

Affleck, Damon Deliver ‘With Air,’ A Pro-Capitalism Three-Pointer

Ben Affleck

Michael Jordan

Nike

Readers Pass

Director <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-flies-one-finger-salute-to-fans-leaving-avatar-the-way-of-water-screening/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Cameron</a> laughed off a recent question about actor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/matt-damon-ill-close-my-mouth-while-paul-bois/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Damon</a> and his claim that turning down a role in the first &#8220;Avatar&#8221; film cost him millions.
&#8220;When was the last time you had a conversation with Matt Damon?&#8221; a BBC radio interviewer asked Cameron, who was promoting &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; — the long-awaited sequel to the visually-stunning 2009 film. Cameron immediately burst out laughing.
The context, of course, was the viral clip of Damon from the 2021 Cannes Film Festival — when he revealed that Cameron had offered him a role and a 10% stake in the massively-successful film. But the &#8220;Good Will Hunting&#8221; star was already committed to filming another installment in the highly-successful &#8220;Bourne&#8221; franchise and had to turn it down.
&#8220;Jim Cameron called me. He offered me ten percent of &#8216;Avatar,’” Damon said at a Cannes press event, laughing as he made the revelation. The audience laughed as well, knowing just how big a film &#8220;Avatar&#8221; had turned out to be.
The film ultimately <a href="https://time.com/6241639/avatar-2-costs-box-office/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raked</a> in over $2.9 billion worldwide — meaning that Damon&#8217;s paycheck, plus the proposed 10% stake, would have netted him somewhere around $250 million or even more.
&#8220;I will go down in history,&#8221; Damon <a href="https://ew.com/movies/matt-damon-turned-down-avatar-10-percent-profits/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">said at the time</a>. &#8220;You will never meet an actor who turned down more money.&#8221;
Cameron suggested that Damon, who has done quite well for himself even without the $250-million boost, ought to just let it go.
&#8220;He’s beating himself up over this. And I really think, you know, &#8216;Matt, you’re kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it,’” Cameron joked — but he went on to note that it was really only the actor&#8217;s schedule that had gotten in the way. &#8220;He had to do another &#8216;Bourne&#8217; film, which was on his runway and there was nothing we could do about that. So he had to regretfully decline.&#8221;
Cameron made it clear that he was interested in having Damon be a part of an &#8220;Avatar&#8221; film in the future, however, but it would not come with quite the same incentive. &#8220;Must do it,&#8221; Cameron said of including Damon in the franchise. &#8220;We have to do it so the world is in equilibrium again. But he doesn’t get 10%, f*** that.&#8221;
WATCH:
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78 Venice International Film Festival 2021

‘Get Over It!’: James Cameron Laughs Off Decision That Cost Matt Damon $250 Million

James Cameron Laughs Off Decision That Cost Matt Damon $250 Million

James Cameron

Actor Matt Damon is contradicting an interview he gave the U.K.’s <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/is-matt-damon-the-last-of-hollywoods-leading-men-gdh9bcwqd">Sunday Times</a> in which he described an incident where his daughter confronted him about using an offensive term to describe gay men. Damon released a statement to Variety late Monday claiming the interview was incorrect and he has never personally used the “f-slur.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matt-damon-faces-backlash-after-admitting-he-only-recently-stopped-referring-to-gay-men-as-the-f-slur">reported</a>, the “Jason Bourne” star received massive backlash after being quoted in the Sunday Times saying, “I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’ She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.”
But in his statement to <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/matt-damon-addresses-f-slur-1235032441/">Variety</a>, Damon insisted his original story isn’t true.
“During a recent interview, I recalled a discussion I had with my daughter where I attempted to contextualize for her the progress that has been made – though by no means completed – since I was growing up in Boston and, as a child, heard the word ‘f*g’ used on the street before I knew what it even referred to,” he said.
Damon went on, “I explained that that word was used constantly and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a movie of mine as recently as 2003; she in turn expressed incredulity that there could ever have been a time where that word was used unthinkingly. To my admiration and pride, she was extremely articulate about the extent to which that word would have been painful to someone in the LGBTQ+ community regardless of how culturally normalized it was. I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values and desire for social justice.&#8221;
In somewhat stilted, academic language that made heavy use of terms popular in the social justice movement, the 50-year-old star concluded that The Sunday Times got the story wrong:
<blockquote>“I have never called anyone ‘f****t’ in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind. I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself ‘one of the good guys’. And given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community.”</blockquote>
Damon stopped short of claiming he was misquoted, however, and The Sunday Times has not yet addressed the discrepancy between their version of the conversation and Damon’s.
As an international celebrity, Damon likely felt pressure to respond after he began trending on Twitter, with thousands of posts blasting him as homophobic. In addition to social media outrage, the gay rights group GLAAD also put out a statement addressing his comments.
“The conversations that have arisen after Matt Damon’s original interview and subsequent remarks today are an important reminder that this word, or any word that aims to disparage and disrespect LGBTQ people, has no place in mainstream media, social media, classrooms, workplaces, and beyond,” said Head of Talent Anthony Allen Ramos. “There needs to be accountability at a time when anti-LGBTQ slurs remain rampant today and can fuel discrimination and stereotypes, especially when used by those outside of the community to defame or describe LGBTQ people.”

“The Martian” Press Conference

Matt Damon Backtracks, Now Says He Never Used ‘F-Slur’ About Gay Men   

Actor Matt Damon is facing a storm of outrage after saying he only recently stopped using the “f-slur” to refer to gay men.
Damon made the comment in an interview with the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/is-matt-damon-the-last-of-hollywoods-leading-men-gdh9bcwqd">Sunday Times</a> while he was explaining his views on  the evolution of “modern masculinity.”
&#8220;The word that my daughter calls the ‘f-slur for a homosexual’ was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application,” the “Stillwater” star said
He then went on to describe a recent confrontation with his daughter after he used the word, saying, “I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’ She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.”
The outlet seemed to realize it had a potential scandal on its hands, writing that Damon’s comment is &#8220;exactly the sort of anecdote people make headlines about.&#8221;
Using song lyrics as an analogy for the broader framework of an interview, writer Jonathan Dean pointed out to Damon the kind of trouble an off-hand comment can cause celebrities these days. &#8220;Twenty years ago, the best way I can put it is that the journalist listened to the music more than the lyrics,” Dean said, “your lyrics are getting parsed, to pull them out of context and get the best headline possible.”
Damon agreed, placing the blame on click-bait reporting, but also saying some good may have come from the development. &#8220;Everyone needs clicks. Before it didn’t really matter what I said, because it didn’t make the news. But maybe this shift is a good thing. So I shut the f&#8212; up more.”
Despite Damon’s admission that he was wrong to use the slur and plans to stop doing so in the future, many progressives still slammed him.
&#8220;I have ranch dressing that has been in my fridge longer than Matt Damon has NOT been using a homophobic slur and he somehow thinks he deserves praise for this Herculean effort,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/lpohutsky19/status/1421947140138573824">wrote</a> Democratic Michigan House Rep. Laurie Pohutsky.
LGBTQ activist Charlotte Clymer was similarly unimpressed with Damon’s change of behavior.
&#8220;This news bit about Matt Damon only recently deciding to stop saying &#8220;f****t&#8221; after his daughter wrote him a &#8216;treatise&#8217; on it just makes me sad. Geez,” Clymer <a href="https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/1421916196081971206?s=20">tweeted</a>, adding, “This is the kind of thing forces me to wonder how much homophobic and transphobic sh** &#8216;progressive&#8217; white cis straight men say behind our backs, and that just really sucks.”
Even some in Damon&#8217;s industry blasted him, with filmmaker Travon Free <a href="https://twitter.com/Travon/status/1421889029738360833?s=20">saying</a>, “So Matt Damon just figured out &#8216;months ago,&#8217; by way of a &#8216;treatise&#8217; from a child, that he&#8217;s not supposed to say the word f*ggot. Months ago. Months ago.”

Today – Season 66

Matt Damon Faces Backlash After Admitting He Only Recently Stopped Referring To Gay Men As The “F-Slur”

LGBTQ

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival after the opening of his new film “Stillwater,” actor Matt Damon revealed that traveling to Oklahoma and learning how the politically conservative “roughnecks&#8221; who work in the oil industry live was “eye-opening&#8221; for him.
Damon stated, “Being invited into their homes, into a backyard barbecue, and the guitar comes out and somebody starts start singing church songs. It&#8217;s a culturally very specific place and very different from how he and I grew up. So it was really fascinating, and these people were wonderful to us and really helped us.”
A reporter from Variety asked Damon, “I think one of the most interesting parts of the film, and oddly charming, is when Camille (actress Camille Cottin) asks Bill (Bill Baker, Damon’s character) if he’s voted for Trump. He has an interesting out, because he’s a felon. Do you think that character would have? And how did you work with Tom to sort of build his geo-political identity?”
“Yeah, I mean, if Oklahoma, I think was the reddest state in the last two elections, and you talk to those roughnecks, they’re always going to vote — I mean, they’re in the oil business,” Damon replied. “Their livelihood depends on that. And so I don’t even think it’s a question at all. And I think if we — we didn’t want to make it expressly political — and I think he is who he is and he’s from where he’s from, and the movie has a lot of empathy for him, and so do we. He says, ‘No, I didn’t vote,’ and their reaction’s, ‘Oh. Phew.’ And he goes, ‘No, I didn’t vote ’cause I was in prison.’”
Damon continued, “He’s completely — these guys don’t apologize for who they are or what they believe — ever. ‘Do you own a gun?’ ‘Yeah. I got two.&#8217; You know what I mean?’”
“The time that Tom and I spent in Oklahoma was absolutely critical to building this character,” Damon said. “I feel like we built this character together; it was something we just talked so much about. But we got so much guidance from the actual guys; I mean these these guys who took us out to the actual oil rigs. We spent hours in the car driving from one place to another. Everything’s far away in Oklahoma; the roads are big; the trucks are big. Everything’s big and far away.”
‘Being invited into their homes, into a backyard barbecue, and the guitar comes out and somebody starts start singing church songs,” Damon recalled. ‘It&#8217;s a culturally very specific place and very different from how he and I grew up. So it was really fascinating, and these people were wonderful to us and really helped us. I didn’t know when I first read this script how specific this culture was in Texas and Oklahoma, these roughnecks and what they do. And so it was really eye-opening for me.”
“So for us it was about the details and getting as specific as we could,” he noted. “The blue jeans: ‘Do you wear these blue jeans?’ ‘No, you wear these ones cause they have fire-retardant on them.’ And they feel like cardboard, and that affects the way you walk. Their bodies are all similar; they all have this goatee, and the hat, the glasses; they’re strong guys because that stuff is heavy that they’re lifting, but they’re not six-pack guys with their abs. They’re big but their strong; that kind of informed every little detail about the physicality of it and then everything that was going on inside with them.”
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WATCH: ‘These People Were Wonderful’: Matt Damon Meets ‘Eye-Opening’ Oklahoma Culture

Oklahoma

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