Christopher Nolan, one of the industry's most celebrated directors known for films like Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, and Interstellar, has faced unexpected criticism for his latest project, The Odyssey, ahead of its July release. The film adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic, following King Odysseus's perilous journey home after the Trojan War to reunite with his wife Penelope.
Massive Budget and Star-Studded Cast
With a $250 million budget—the most expensive of Nolan's career—The Odyssey is his first film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. The cast includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, along with Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Travis Scott, and Elliot Page. Despite the star power, the film has drawn backlash over its casting and filming location.
Casting Controversy
Elon Musk criticized the casting of Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o as Clytemnestra, calling it 'historically inaccurate.' Nolan defended his choices, telling Time magazine that ancient depictions of Homeric characters often reflected the artist's own time. 'There's a pretty strong case there for portraying things that way because that's the way the first audience received the story,' he said. The View host Sunny Hostin called Musk a 'white supremacist' for his remarks, while Alec Baldwin publicly supported Nyong'o, posting on Instagram: 'Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec.'
Filming Location Dispute
The film also faces accusations of fueling 'brutal repression' for shooting in Morocco-occupied Western Sahara. The Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) urged Nolan to halt filming in Dakhla, calling it an 'occupied, militarised city' where Sahrawi people face repression. 'By filming The Odyssey in an occupied territory, Nolan and his team are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi people by Morocco,' the festival stated. Universal has not commented.
Nolan's Vision
Nolan described The Odyssey as one of the 'hardest' films he has made, aiming to put audiences 'into that horse' and 'on the deck of Odysseus's ship.' He told Stephen Colbert that Greek mythology 'hadn't really been done on a kind of A-budget, big studio, throw everything at the screen and see what sticks kind of way.' The film opens in theatres on July 17.
