Nolan Defends The Odyssey's Modern Dialogue 6 Days Before July 17 Release
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 11
Nolan Defends The Odyssey's Modern Dialogue 6 Days Before July 17 Release
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 11
Summary
Christopher Nolan said online backlash to The Odyssey is "irrelevant," arguing critics have not seen the film and cannot judge what it actually is yet.
Channel 4 News quotes Nolan saying the modern dialogue is deliberate: he wants Homer's poem to feel earthy, accessible and fresh for modern audiences rather than treated with automatic reverence because it is ancient.
Nolan framed the reaction through his Batman experience, saying 10 years on that trilogy taught him to ignore fan preconceptions and focus on honoring the source through his own interpretation.
The backlash has targeted casting choices including Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as Sinon, with Matt Walsh criticizing the film on X and Elon Musk amplifying some of those posts.
The epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, and reaches theaters on July 17.