A huge Trojan Horse has appeared overnight in Trafalgar Square ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyssey.
The 11-metre-high structure was installed on a sand base between the square’s bronze lions and fountains, beneath Nelson’s Column, turning one of London’s best-known landmarks into a dramatic movie-themed display.
The attraction is on display following its appearance at The Odyssey world premiere.
Weighing around four tonnes, the sculpture was built over six weeks in a project involving 45 designers, steelworkers, fabricators and engineers. Organisers said it took about 300 man hours to create before it was transported to central London and put in place overnight.
The horse was made in Cardiff and travelled more than 450 miles to the capital.
Constructed from steel, fibreglass, polystyrene, sand and resin, it has been designed to resemble the weathered wooden horse used by the Greeks in Nolan’s forthcoming mythic action epic, inspired by Homer’s classic tale.
In the legend, Greek soldiers hide inside a giant wooden horse to gain entry to the city of Troy — a ruse that ultimately leads to the city’s destruction.
Alongside the installation, visitors can view film imagery and behind-the-scenes photography, as well as a corridor of flaming torches inspired by the movie.
The installation will move to Westfield London in White City, where it will be exhibited alongside the photography display from Thursday 16 July until Monday 20 July. The display will be free for members of the public to visit.
Released by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey is due to arrive in UK cinemas on Friday 17 July.
The film was shot across multiple locations worldwide using brand-new IMAX film technology, and is billed as the first feature film made entirely with IMAX film cameras.
It follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, on his long journey home after the Trojan War, encountering mythical creatures, powerful gods and a series of trials as he attempts to return to his wife Penelope and reclaim his kingdom.
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.