The Odyssey has a hidden detail in Penelope's costumes you might not have noticed

Anne Hathaway has shared a hidden detail from The Odyssey, which you may not have even noticed. The star pointed out just how much thought went into the acclaimed historical epic, right down to the costumes.

Speaking at an awards press conference for the successful blockbuster, Hathaway recalled her initial costume fitting for her character Penelope, in which she was given a "very soft dusty pink gown" to try on.

The star thought that the dress was "very beautiful", though she was surprised to find that the colour palette had "completely changed" during the next round of fittings.

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"All of a sudden, it was bright jewel tones and Ellen [Mirojnick, costume designer] said, 'Yeah, [director Christopher Nolan] wants you in colour, like really, really strong colour,'" she told Digital Spy and other media.

Hathaway "just kind of went with" the change and was in awe of all the "amazing" costumes as filming continued. It was during a jubilant flashback scene, though, that she then began to question the decision.

"I was wearing this gown and it was so beautiful and I turned to Ellen and I said, 'What colour even is this?' And she said, 'It's orchid'... I thought how unusual that Penelope, who's experiencing such heartache and this grief that she's not even allowed to feel, because she's in limbo not knowing if he's [Odysseus] alive or dead."

She continued: "It just stayed with me the entire film because it felt right to wear these costumes and it felt right to have these ornate hairdos, but I didn't know why exactly, it just felt right."

Related: The Odyssey digital release date revealed: here's when you can watch Christopher Nolan epic at home

Later, the actor came to a sudden realisation about the bright colour scheme, and linked it to Penelope's mindset while her husband was missing, noting: "I just remember turning to Matt [Damon] and grabbing his hand and being like, 'Oh my gosh Matt, she wears colour because she's not in mourning because he's not dead.'"

"She gets dressed up and does her hair every single day because today could be the day that he's coming home. That had been with us the entire time, and I just wasn't able to articulate it. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to cry because it just added this depth to my character that was just a gift," she added.

The Odyssey is out in cinemas now.

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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.  

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.