Tom Holland, the star of The Odyssey, has admitted he was convinced director Christopher Nolan was unhappy with his performance during his first day on set. The Spider-Man actor recently shared the behind-the-scenes story in an interview with Fandango, revealing a moment of panic that was quickly resolved by a technical explanation.

Holland, who plays Telemachus in the epic film, was working with IMAX cameras for the first time. Unbeknownst to him, the camera magazines only hold enough film for approximately three minutes of continuous shooting before they must be reloaded . Having no prior knowledge of this limitation, he interpreted Nolan’s frequent calls for "cut" as a sign that something was going terribly wrong with his acting.

The actor recalled the experience with humor and relief. "Working with the IMAX cameras for the first time is an experience. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before, and I didn't know that it only ran for three minutes," Holland said. "I remember you would continue cutting, and I was with Jon [Bernthal] like, 'Why does he keep cutting? Why does he keep doing that?'" he recounted, explaining that he feared Nolan simply did not like what he was seeing on screen . The actor admitted, "I thought I was totally sh*tting the bed in this scene" .

The misunderstanding was eventually clarified by stunt coordinator George Cottle, who explained the technical constraints of the film magazines. The relief for Holland was immediate .

This incident highlights the unique challenges of making The Odyssey, which is a landmark in cinema history as the first feature film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras . Christopher Nolan has long been an advocate for the format, having used it in films like The Dark Knight and Oppenheimer, but this project represents the most ambitious use of the technology to date .

The physical and technical demands of the cameras are well-documented. They are notoriously large and loud, often described as sounding like a blender or a "Cuisinart in your face," which can interfere with audio recording . To overcome this, Nolan’s team developed a "blimp" system—a specialized housing weighing over 300 pounds to encase the camera and muffle its sound, allowing for dialogue scenes . The team also utilized a system of mirrors to ensure actors' eyelines were correct for close-up shots .

Despite the initial anxiety, Holland has spoken highly of the experience, calling it one of the best of his career. He praised Nolan and producer Emma Thomas, describing the opportunity to learn from them as a privilege . The Odyssey, based on Homer’s ancient epic, follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his perilous decade-long journey home after the Trojan War . The film boasts an ensemble cast including Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal . Audiences can see the result of this technical and creative endeavor when the film opens on July 17 .