The Odyssey will likely be one of this summer's biggest hits, despite online backlash to "woke" casting choices and historical inaccuracies. The first reactions from critics were glowing, suggesting the full reviews will be similarly positive next week.
The movie, based on Homer's ancient Greek epic, which dates back to around the 8th or 7th century BC, uses contemporary English dialogue and actors with American accents. That's fuelled the complaints about filmmaker Christopher Nolan's approach to adapting the source material, and led to concerns about him dumbing down the material for younger audiences.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times (via SFFGazette.com), Nolan broke his silence on the backlash, explaining that his goal was to prioritise "language that has emotional, not intellectual meaning to people."
"I was maybe being naïve, it might bite me on the ass, but I wanted an earthy narrative," he continued. "To me, it was a no-brainer."
It was also a priority for Nolan to fill the cast with A-list talent, largely because The Odyssey's characters "are mythological figures, iconic in some ways." He added, "I wanted to cast it big, get the finest bunch of actors," suggesting that too was a way of connecting with a contemporary audience.
It does, in some ways, feel like, after the hype surrounding Oppenheimer—largely a result of the "Barbenheimer" craze—Nolan is setting out to make a movie for a generation that will likely watch it on their phones at home. He remains a huge supporter of the theatrical experience, though, and the decisions he's made all seem to have been part of a desire to get younger audiences into theaters.
Still, it sounds like The Odyssey will be a timely story, despite being one of the oldest pieces of recorded literature. Nolan told the site that the world of the movie "can seem alien, like another world, until it’s not. The modern world frighteningly reminds you that these things don’t change."
Will the social media attacks derail The Odyssey's opening weekend? It seems doubtful, especially if the ridicule aimed at X owner Elon Musk for recently labelling Tom Holland a "cuck" (he confused an historian with the same name as the actor).
The cast of The Odyssey includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong'o, Will Yun Lee, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Corey Hawkins, Josh Stewart, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, and Logan Marshall-Green.
Shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology, the film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.