Renowned rapper Travis Scott expressed unexpected nervousness before recording his first lines in acclaimed director Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” on July 22, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. PT. The confession came from an artist who has just completed the most profitable solo rap tour in history, with gigantic audiences.
Scott found himself in an ancient Italian castle, on a wooden table on a remote island, surrounded by big names like Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson. He described the situation as terrifying, as it was the first scene of the day for the stellar cast.
The rapper emphasized that the atmosphere was one of complete seriousness and concentration, unlike his usual events, with a camera focused on his face and Nolan watching closely. All the actors were immersed in their roles, adding to the pressure.
On that occasion, Scott gave an intense performance, breathing deeply and raising a staff to recite a vibrant passage about the Trojan War, taking on the role of the hero Odysseus. He declaimed about “one war, one man, one trick to break down the walls of Troy and burn it to the ground.”
In fact, the scene served as a kind of test for the artist. Nolan, laughing, revealed that it was a conscious decision to place Scott in a close-up early on in filming, challenging him to “get up on the table and start reciting the Song of Odysseus and hold the attention of everyone in the room.”
The collaboration between Scott and Nolan began in 2020, when the then-29-year-old rapper contributed a song to the end credits of “Tenet,” another Nolan film. He also co-wrote “When I’m Home” for “The Odyssey,” but his participation this time was strictly as an actor, as clarified by the director.
In adapting Homer’s nearly 2,700-year-old epic poem to the IMAX format, Nolan sought a way to make the narrative accessible to modern audiences. He identified in contemporary rappers a continuity of the oral narrative tradition of Ancient Greek poets.
Nolan explained that he wanted someone on screen who could convincingly recite words and capture the audience’s attention, allowing them to identify with the drama and emotion of the poetry. He avoided a “fancy” or “formal” approach, which could alienate the viewer.
Scott was already familiar with Homer’s poem before reading Nolan’s script. He read “The Odyssey” as a child, under the name Jacques Bermon Webster II, on the recommendation of his paternal grandmother, Bernice Webster, an English teacher, during the summer holidays.
The rapper confessed, laughing, that at the time he wrote a superficial summary and “got beaten up because he lied about having read it.” Currently, his grandmother feels gratified with the situation.
Scott beamed that his grandmother said, “See? That’s why I made you read that book; now you’re in this movie,” describing the experience as “really incredible.”
The week before the interview, Scott shared a text message from his mother, Wanda Webster, planning to take his grandmother Bernice and maternal grandmother Sealie Wood to see the film. He even considered closing a family movie theater.
He mentioned that his children, Stormi, 8, and Aire, 4, with ex Kylie Jenner, are probably too young for the film’s 18+ rating, despite its classic nature.
Describing the interview with Travis Scott as “informal” wouldn’t be entirely accurate, as he seemed uneasy during the conversation in Manhattan. His long legs required constant adjustments on the couch, and he fumbled with the zipper on a cushion.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and he was getting ready to go to Yankee Stadium, in the north of the city, to watch a Jay-Z performance, which justified his anxiety. Throughout the chat, the creator of the hit “Highest in the Room” lit a joint, only putting it out when he got excited and needed to gesture with both hands.
Minutes earlier, Scott posed for the photographer on a sweltering rooftop in the NoMad neighborhood, wearing a sleek Hermès suit. It’s hard not to be impressed by her supermodel stance as “Goosebumps,” her psychedelic rap-trap hit, plays on a portable speaker.
When turning in profile, Nolan’s choice to capture his face on IMAX film becomes evident: he has the appearance of a movie star.
Comfortably ensconced in his dressing room, Scott had swapped his Rick Owens sunglasses for baggy sweatpants and a faded Oasis t-shirt, contrasting with his thick gold and diamond chains. He spoke enthusiastically about “The Warriors,” one of his favorite films from 1979, which tells the story of a street gang that needs to return to its territory after being framed.
He describes the characters as “heroes of war for peace”.
Scott’s role in “The Odyssey” represents another step in his path towards consolidating himself as an influential figure in cinema. Paramount Pictures is currently finalizing a deal that will give him priority directing his own projects, a significant step forward for his company, Cactus Jack.
Josh Greenstein, co-president of Paramount Pictures, stated that “creativity emanates from every pore of his body”, referring to Scott’s style, cars, music and film taste. The rapprochement between Scott and Greenstein occurred through “The Warriors” during discussions about the expansion of the brand at the Hollywood studio, with the presence of David Stromberg, manager of Cactus Jack.
Over the past decade, almost everything Scott has been involved in has been wildly successful. What began in 2017 as a record label and music publisher, representing artists like Sheck Wes and Don Toliver, has grown into a comprehensive ecosystem of artistic and commercial ventures.
Cactus Jack’s consumer products division has already collaborated with brands such as Nike and Jordan, the game “Fortnite”, luxury brands such as Saint Laurent, Dior and Audemars Piguet, as well as Hot Wheels, Reese’s Puffs and McDonald’s. The partnership with Paramount on consumer products has already resulted in limited “SpongeBob” and “Scream” collections, which sold out quickly.
The new agreement with Paramount expands that partnership, granting Scott the freedom to develop projects ranging from films and television shows to plays and immersive experiences, all exploring Cactus Jack’s global cultural influence. Scott expressed his desire to “bring back amazing movies, pictures and good creative ideas”, praising Paramount for not being “afraid to take a chance on good ideas”.
Scott has long realized the interconnection between music and film, and this project formalizes that realization. He explained that he spent so much on music videos that the budgets resembled independent films, and now he’s looking for ways to “make better use of that money” and turn ideas into lasting structures, expanding them beyond “three or four minutes.”
At the same time, the studio was charting its future, with a crucial focus on attracting younger audiences back to theaters. These days, few artists can connect with their fans on the scale of Travis Scott. His “Circus Maximus” tour lasted two and a half years, selling 2.2 million tickets and grossing $265 million.
Paramount’s Greenstein noted, “His good taste influences culture. How many people do you know who can do the same? Everything he touches becomes culture, and that’s a superpower.”
Paramount laid out the evolution of its relationship with Scott in a video starring and narrated by Tom Cruise, shown at CinemaCon earlier this year. While Cruise promised that the studio is looking for “new perspectives”, the camera revealed Scott covered in diamonds. His security team was positioned in front of four chocolate brown luxury cars, Cactus Jack’s signature color, parked in front of one of Paramount’s studios.
Scott got into a golf cart, also wrapped in shades of brown, and his assistant hopped in the back with several pink Goyard suitcases as they sped across the parking lot.
Scott doesn’t yet have a formal list of projects in development at the studio, but he described a genre he’d like to explore: “The amazing thing right now is that horror movies are barely scary anymore; they’re gripping dramas. Those dark thrillers where nothing scary happens until the end. It’s all suspense and building tension, a good script, and maybe a cast you don’t even know, but you’re completely invested in.”
He mentioned films such as the Japanese thriller “Exit 8”, but revealed that the last film he saw in the cinema was “Michael”. When asked if he would make a biopic about himself, he replied: “Absolutely. I would do ‘Entourage’ again.”
Returning briefly to “The Warriors,” Scott is aware that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be bringing the Paramount classic to Broadway next spring, but he himself would consider creating his own remake. Scott said, his mind visibly racing: “That would be kind of crazy. But I’ve been thinking, ‘Would it be like a show? Or would it be a movie again?'”
He demonstrates a great passion for the cinematic experience, which makes Paramount an ideal environment for his future work. “It’s cool to have streaming and everything, but keep the cinemas alive. There’s nothing more fun than saying: ‘So, guys, do you want to go to the cinema?'”, he asked.
Scott lamented the growing inertia of people, who prefer to stay at home. “That’s cool too, but it’s like I’m thinking, ‘Let’s go out. Let’s get some air. Let’s touch the grass,'” he said, stubbing out his joint in exasperation.
He continued, “And here’s the thing: these people put so much time into sound design, and you don’t even have a home theater system at home. So why are we disrespecting sound designers and all this amazing stuff that you’re supposed to absorb in the movie?” He lit the joint again and apologized for the outburst.
While other artists, like Prince, were visionaries whose talents were limited by the times, Scott achieved remarkable success in bringing his big ideas to fruition. For his debut album, 2015’s “Rodeo,” he planned to release an action figure along with the physical record. Although the original idea didn’t come to fruition, it became part of his story, and he ended up getting his own toys in collaborations with McDonald’s and “Fortnite.” The “Rodeo” ride represented a difficult time, but not as serious as the 2021 tragedy at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, where ten people died. Despite the devastating impact, their professional partnerships remained.
Next fall, the University of Southern California (USC) will launch a course on Scott and Cactus Jack’s creative ecosystem, investigating how an individual can build such a complete creative platform. The 140 places for the course sold out in around 20 minutes, following the pattern of releases related to Travis Scott.
Dr. Josh Kun, professor in USC’s Communication and American Studies department, said, “I think he understands that what drives contemporary culture is experience and immersion. Fans, consumers and everyday people want experiences and they want to feel immersed.” He added that Scott truly understands how the lifestyle becomes a complete way of interacting with the world.
Nolan agreed, citing Scott’s film “Circus Maximus” as a prime example of his capabilities. A visual complement to his 2023 album “Utopia”, the film includes segments directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Harmony Korine, Gaspar Noé, Valdimar Jóhannsson, Kahlil Joseph and Scott himself. Nolan described Scott as “extremely intelligent and creative”, with a natural understanding of “cinematic virtues — the way you can engage an audience using your ears but also your eyes”.
When asked about the secret to his success, Scott responded simply: “These are experiences that I wanted as a fan and that I didn’t get. So I always said to myself, ‘If I’m ever in that position, I want to provide the best experiences possible.'”
When it comes to film production, Scott gained a lot of knowledge during his time on the set of “The Odyssey.” He arrived every day at 5 a.m. and stayed until 3 p.m., cherishing the opportunity to observe Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.
Scott revealed that he didn’t stay in his trailer, which was new for him, used to doing his job and returning to his dressing room. However, his strong desire to learn motivated him to stay on set.
During filming, he accompanied Nolan and van Hoytema, asking questions about their creative processes and watching the director’s monitor as they framed a scene on IMAX cameras. “I’m looking at the camera. I’m in the loop,” Scott said, laughing, making sure he wasn’t missing anything.
When asked what he learned from Nolan, Scott summed it up: “Always see the vision through. Never settle for less than the vision.” This is similar wisdom to what his mentor, Ye, imparted to him early in his career.
It is important to clarify that “The Odyssey” does not mark Scott’s debut as an actor. His filmography includes the 2021 indie drama “Gully” and Korine’s hyper-stylized crime thriller “Aggro Dr1ft,” as well as a cameo in HBO’s “Ballers.” He will also appear as himself in the comedy “Rolling Loud,” starring Owen Wilson and filmed during the 2024 hip-hop festival. In the film, Wilson plays a father who sneaks his underage son to the event, and a series of mix-ups lead him on stage with the rapper to perform his hit “Fe!n.”
“I would love to do more acting,” Scott said, showing respect for “the true talent of people who wake up every day and really dedicate themselves.”
However, acting requires serving someone else’s vision, while Scott is better suited to the role of visionary. Therefore, his main focus is on production, direction, composition and creation of soundscapes. “I feel like that’s where I can shine the most,” he said. “I love acting, but this is so much cooler.”
Reflecting on his overall goals, Scott added, “I’m here to achieve who I am as an artist. On these side missions — these cool things I like to do — I never lose sight of the main goal. I’m still trying to play every stadium in the United States and around the world.” He also mentioned that he’s “working on an album right now” and constantly challenging himself to push sonic boundaries to create something new.
Scott has dedicated himself intensely to the follow-up to his album “Utopia”, which reached double platinum and reached the top of the charts. He keeps tracks from his mysterious sixth studio album on an iPod, which fans and hip-hop enthusiasts saw him wearing on his waist while watching a recent World Cup match in Houston with Stormi and Aire.
Scott didn’t provide many details about the new sound, but said he was listening to a wide range of influences, including Parliament, Oasis, Van Halen (for their “mega-choruses and punchy basslines”), Don Toliver, Raphael Saadiq and Daft Punk.
He draws inspiration from his experiences on tour, creating music for audiences further away in the stadium. “I think, ‘OK, I need to dedicate myself even more to creating something that will reach the person at the back of the stands, so how do I reach them in the same way as the person right next to me?'” he explained. “So that’s what I’m working on — trying to elevate the show to a more theatrical aspect.”
He teased: “Stay tuned to see how this happens. ‘Utopia’ was supposed to be a play. I want to try to rescue real experiences before they try to erase them all and digitize everything.”
With “The Odyssey” a strong Oscar contender, the end credits theme song could put Scott in the running for best original song. He expressed a desire to “take home an Oscar”, considering the possibility “incredible”, despite still needing a Grammy.
Scott has been nominated by the Recording Academy ten times, but has never won. He pondered whether the possibility of winning a Grammy motivates him, letting out a long puff of smoke before responding. “That’s not why I do what I do,” he said of the coveted award. He likes to “set goals and just want to achieve them”, realizing that winners often have a more detached attitude. For him, the award “represents something, and winning it would be incredible.”
In March, Scott joined Nolan and composer Ludwig Göransson at the Directors Guild of America theater in West Hollywood to see a preliminary version of “The Odyssey.” Göransson had been developing an idea for the end credits song, featuring English singer-songwriter James Blake, and wanted Scott to collaborate. One of Nolan’s favorite songs on “Utopia” is “Til Further Notice,” which features Blake.
Göransson described Scott as a “chameleon”, noting that “you can’t define exactly what he’s doing. He can transition into any genre, any form. It feels like he’s the past and the future at the same time.”
However, Scott insisted on seeing the film first. Göransson said, laughing, that “Travis was sitting right next to me, and during the Cyclops scene he pulled his hood over his head because I think he was a little scared,” describing the experience as “great watching the movie with him. He was really excited.”
According to Scott, Göransson had scheduled a studio session so they could start working right after the screening. There, he presented Scott and Nolan with what he had composed, using the bard’s lines from the film as a reference. Scott then began improvising between lines, creating the ode to Odysseus promised by the nearly three-hour film.
“It’s connecting the writing of the film to the music,” Scott recalled of the session. “Now, I’m putting on my artist hat, explaining that feeling of trials and tribulations, trying to get home, trying to see Penelope, being stuck with Calypso eating lotus flowers for eight years….” He described recording the video in Switzerland, in a castle, as “crazy”, “insane”.
Halfway through the story about the recording session, Scott got up to get a red Airhead candy from the catering team. At that moment, a curiosity about the song was mentioned: it is Nolan’s first composition.
