Topline<\/p>\n
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and other right-wing commentators have attacked director Christopher Nolan\u2019s upcoming $250 million epic, \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d\u2014particularly the casting of Lupita Nyong\u2019o, a Black actress, and Elliot Page, a trans actor\u2014as \u201cracist\u201d over apparent historical inaccuracies, which Nolan has defended.<\/p>\n
Musk reposted multiple posts critical of “The Odyssey” cast early Wednesday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Musk reposted and responded to multiple posts on X early Wednesday that attacked \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d an adaptation of Homer\u2019s ancient Greek poem that is set to open in theaters in July. <\/p>\n
Musk responded<\/a>, \u201cTrue,\u201d to one post that alleged Nolan is \u201cracist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage,\u201d also reposting<\/a> a tweet that suggested Nolan is stomping on Homer\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n The Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh<\/a> also slammed \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d in a post on Tuesday, suggesting Nolan cast Nyong\u2019o as Helen of Troy because he knew \u201che would be called racist if he gave \u2018the most beautiful woman\u2019 role to a white woman\u201d (Musk also responded<\/a>, \u201cTrue,\u201d to Walsh\u2019s post).<\/p>\n Musk also boosted multiple posts that attacked Page\u2019s gender identity, also calling<\/a> one tweet that suggested Page could not open a pickle jar a \u201cbanger.\u201d<\/p>\n Musk previously criticized \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d as early as January, saying in two posts that month Nolan has \u201clost his integrity,\u201d both of which were in response to posts that criticized the casting of Nyong\u2019o instead of a Greek actress.<\/p>\n Why Is \u201cthe Odyssey\u201d Facing A Casting Controversy?<\/p>\n Some critics of Nolan\u2019s casting choices for \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d have lamented the cast lacks Greek actors and is allegedly historically inaccurate. In addition to Nyong\u2019o and Page, some critics have also criticized his casting of rapper Travis Scott in a small part. Nolan defended his choice to cast Scott in an interview with Time<\/a> earlier this week, saying, \u201cI cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.\u201d Some people who have defended Nolan\u2019s casting online also noted<\/a> Nyongo\u2019s character, Helen of Troy, is a mythological figure and there is no evidence she was a real person. Nolan told Time he knows \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d will not satisfy all enthusiasts of the ancient poem, and he compared his process for developing the film to his 2014 science fiction epic, \u201cInterstellar.\u201d \u201cFor Interstellar, you\u2019re looking at, \u2018What is the best speculation of the future?\u2019 When you\u2019re looking at the ancient past, it\u2019s actually the same thing. \u2018What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?\u2019\u201d he said, adding he hopes people will \u201cenjoy the film, even if they don\u2019t agree with everything.\u201d <\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d also faced some backlash when a trailer premiered last week, as the actors, including British stars Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson, appeared to be using American accents. In a critical column, The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> writer James Hibberd said \u201ceverybody sounds like they\u2019re from Ohio\u201d in the film, calling it more like \u201cIthaca, New York, than Ithaca, Greece.\u201d Hibberd noted many other historical epics, like \u201cGladiator,\u201d opted to have actors use British accents, even though that accent would also be historically inaccurate.<\/p>\n What Do We Know About \u201cthe Odyssey\u201d?<\/p>\n \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d stars an ensemble cast with plenty of A-listers, led by Matt Damon as Odysseus. His co-stars include Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron and Nyong\u2019o. Filming took place last year across multiple countries, including Greece, Italy, Iceland and Scotland. The movie courted some controversy<\/a> for shooting in the disputed Western Sahara territory, which has been occupied by Morocco for decades. \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d is Nolan\u2019s follow-up to \u201cOppenheimer,\u201d which made nearly $1 billion in 2023 and was the biggest winner at that year\u2019s Academy Awards, with Nolan winning the prizes for Best Picture and Best Director. <\/p>\n Big Number<\/p>\n $250 million. That\u2019s the estimated budget<\/a> for \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d the most expensive film of Nolan\u2019s career. Multiple film publications have projected<\/a> \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d will be a box office hit this summer. Deadline<\/a> reported last week \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d will be one of the summer\u2019s top-grossing films, noting the film had already sold out<\/a> IMAX screenings a year in advance.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n