Christopher Nolan remains unbothered by the backlash against his upcoming period epic The Odyssey.
Ahead of its release next week, the adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic has drawn considerable criticism, particularly over its casting choices. However, the Oscar-winning director said in a new interview that he was unfazed by the online discourse surrounding the film.
Highlights
- Christopher Nolan responded to the controversy surrounding The Odyssey.
- Fans clashed online after the director dismissed early criticism as “irrelevant.”
- Nolan also addressed another debated creative choice in his upcoming epic.
Despite Nolan's candid remarks, many fans criticized the filmmaker, calling his comments "tone-deaf" and labeling him "arrogant."
Christopher Nolan breaks silence on The Odyssey backlash
Image credits: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
The Odyssey follows Matt Damon’s Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the devastating Trojan War.
It features actress Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, a casting choice that drew intense backlash since the character has traditionally been depicted as a white woman. Other creative choices, including the costume design, also came under heavy scrutiny.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
In a new interview with The Telegraph, director Christopher Nolan admitted he wasn’t surprised by the online scrutiny. The 55-year-old said such criticism came with "the territory," adding that adapting Homer's epic was always likely to provoke debate.
“These conversations that happen before people see the film. They’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet,” he said.
Nolan added that his goal was simply to make the best and most sincere adaptation possible.
Fans divided by Christopher Nolan’s defense of The Odyssey
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Nolan’s comments quickly garnered attention on social media, with users divided over them. On X, several fans praised the filmmaker for being unbothered by the online backlash.
A few also agreed that judging a film based on its marketing material was unfair. However, others were infuriated by the remarks, finding them “outright condescending” and “tone-deaf.”
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Fans argued that the film adapts one of the oldest and most influential works of literature. As a result, they were already aware of what the movie was about and felt the director’s comments undermined their intelligence.
“Sure, it's completely irrelevant…unless he actually expects the people who don't like what they've seen so far to buy tickets to his movie,” one user said.
Another commented, “Nolan's 'just wait and see' BS is pure Hollywood arrogance.”
“What a shockingly out-of-touch and asinine thing to say. He's one of the last people I would've expected to make a comment like that,” a third wrote.
Christopher Nolan also defended the modern dialogue in The Odyssey
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Beyond the casting controversy, early footage was also criticized for its modern-sounding dialogue despite the story's late Bronze Age setting.
Nolan and actor Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus in the film, appeared on an episode of The Fourcast podcast. During the conversation, the director addressed his decision to use more contemporary language.
Holland was asked why Telemachus refers to Matt Damon’s character as “dad” instead of “father.” The Spider-Man actor countered that neither word would be historically accurate since his character would’ve primarily spoken in Greek.
Image credits: Zak Hussein/Getty Images
“There's a lot of cultural prejudice. They're sort of elevating it because it's old,” Nolan added.
He further explained that Homer's original poem was grounded and earthy, but he wanted the film to feel fresh and resonate with modern audiences. As a result, he chose to sidestep what he described as the "cultural prejudices" associated with the source material.
The Odyssey is scheduled to be released on July 17, 2026.