Christopher Nolan asked to stop filming Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland-starrer The Odyssey in Western Sahara

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan is facing criticism for filming parts of his upcoming film The Odyssey in the Western Sahara, 70% of which is occupied by Morocco, reported Variety. According to the outlet, the director recently spent four days filming the highly anticipated historical film starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and more in the city of Dakhla, which has been deemed the capital of the Moroccan-administrative region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab.

Why is Western Sahara a disputed region?

Western Sahara is a disputed territory and is classified as "non-self governing" by the United Nations. Home to the Indigenous Sahrawi people, it's the last remaining African colonial state to achieve independence, with Morocco still claiming control over the majority of its land. However, a Morocco-proposed plan giving Western Sahara autonomy but Morocco ultimate sovereignty -- similar to Spain's relationship to the Canary Islands and Basque Country -- picked up steam last year with the support of the U.S., U.K. and France.

Christopher Nolan urged to stop filming The Odyssey in Western Sahara

Last week, after the shoot had wrapped in the region, the Western Sahara International Film Festival (aka FiSahara), which takes place in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, put out a statement urging Nolan to stop production. "Dakhla is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes. First and foremost, it is an occupied and militarized city whose Indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression by the Moroccan occupation forces," the festival said, adding that the production should "stop filming in Dakhla and stand in solidarity with the Sahrawi people who have been under military occupation for 50 years and who are routinely imprisoned and tortured for their peaceful struggle for self-determination.

On the other hand, Reda Benjelloun of the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre told a local outlet Medias24, last week that
the production filming in Dakhla is "extremely important," marking the first major Hollywood production to do so. "Dakhla will indeed offer extraordinary opportunities in the future to foreign productions, which will find geography very different from other regions of Morocco," said Benjelloun.

The Odyssey release date and other details

The Odyssey, which adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic poem for the big screen, has also been filmed in Morocco, Greece and Italy. It is set for a theatrical release from Universal on July 17, 2026, with early tickets already selling out for IMAX 70mm screenings. Mounted on a budget of $250 million, it is Nolan's most expensive film and the first blockbuster to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras.

READ | Tickets for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, featuring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, sold out one year before its release