London, New York... Cullen. How a small Scots hotel got first look at The Odyssey

By CLAIRE ELLIOT, SCOTTISH GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:32, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 21:43, 28 July 2026 FEW have any idea of the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to produce a Hollywood blockbuster. But staff at one Scots hotel got a front row seat at the making of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as the cast and crew filmed along the Moray coast. The movie, starring Hollywood legend Matt Damon as Greek hero Odysseus and Spider-Man stars Tom Holland as his son Telemachus and Zendaya as the goddess Athena, is proving a huge hit at the box office, attracting millions of cinema-goers across the world. But, before its premiere in London earlier this month, those working at the Seafield Arms Hotel in Cullen, Banffshire, got to see first-hand how the movie came together when the venue was transformed into a major production studio. The Seafield Arms had an exclusive look at the blockbuster new movie On its social media page, the hotel confirmed it was the exclusive base for cast and crew, ‘creating an atmosphere unlike anything we’ve ever experienced’. And it said now that the film was on the big screen it was able to spill ‘a few of the secrets’ from the cast and crew’s time at the venue. One of the ‘most fascinating parts of the production’, it added, was the transformation of the hotel’s grand ballroom. It said: ‘It was completely boarded up and, each evening, the day’s filming was played back using an antique projector specially transported from a museum in England. ‘Watching cinema history unfold in such a unique way was something we’ll never forget.’ Private dining rooms were also stripped out and converted into editing suites to allow crews to work behind the scenes. The rooms used during the making of the movie have since been transformed into ‘a Greek-style Odyssey residence’ as a lasting reminder for guests. Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, stayed at the popular Scots hotel The hotel confirmed that Matt Damon was one of the stars booked into one of its 24 luxury en-suite rooms. Actress Samantha Morton, who appears briefly in the film, was also pictured at the venue. A hotel spokesman said: ‘Hosting a production of this scale was an incredible experience for our team and a proud moment for the Seafield Arms Hotel, Cullen, and the wider Moray coast. ‘Seeing our beautiful coastline on the big screen is something we’re sure will inspire many more visitors to discover this special part of Scotland.’ The movie follows the ancient tale of King Odysseus’s long and perilous journey home from the Trojan War to rescue his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, and their son.