Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ ignited controversy long before opening weekend

Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated adaptation of ancient Greek poet Homer’s epic “The Odyssey” has sparked debate for months before audiences even had the chance to see it.

From criticism over casting choices and historical accuracy to backlash over the 55-year-old Oscar-winning director’s own comments dismissing critics, the fantasy action-adventure has found itself at the center of multiple controversies ahead of its theatrical debut.

With a production budget of $250 million and marketing costs totaling an estimated $125 million, “The Odyssey” is one of the most expensive R-rated movies ever made. Box office analysts have estimated that the film will have to gross over $700 million globally to turn a profit for its studio, Universal.

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While “The Odyssey’s” controversies have dominated social media and entertainment news headlines, brand experts and box office analysts told Fox News Digital they do not expect the pre-release scrutiny to derail the movie’s commercial prospects, with some arguing that it could have the opposite effect.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” sparked controversy for months before landing in theaters. (Aalok Soni/Getty Images for Universal Pictures; Melinda Sue Gordon © Universal Studios)

Here’s a look at everything Nolan has taken heat for ahead of “The Odyssey’s” release.

Casting controversies

The film sparked debate over several casting choices including Lupita  Nyong’o as Helen of Troy.  (Scott A Garfitt / AP)

“The Odyssey” features a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and Lupita Nyong’o.

Despite its lineup of A-listers and many previous awards recipients, Nolan faced backlash over several casting decisions.

Much of the criticism came from his choice to cast Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, as Homer describes the character as having “white arms” in the poem. Social media users have pointed out that Nyong’o’s African roots and darker complexion contradict the poet’s description of the character.

Nolan also faced scrutiny over his decision to cast transgender actor Elliot Page as Sinon, a great warrior who fought alongside Odysseus during the Trojan War, as well as rapper Travis Scott, who plays a Greek bard (oral storyteller). Others have taken issue with the fact that no actors of Greek or Mediterranean descent were cast in the film.

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While weighing in on the backlash, PR expert Sarah Schmidt pointed out that the controversy had generated significant publicity for the movie ahead of its release.

“There is a lot of noise around this film, but in this case, noise isn’t a bad thing,” the president of the PR firm Interdepence told Fox News Digital. “People are talking about the film before it’s even out, which is almost always a win.”

Elliot Page’s casting as a Greek warrior was also questioned.  (Jeff Spicer / Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

“If this was about a personal scandal that is one thing, but this ‘controversy’ is about creative choice, casting, dialogue, and design,” she continued. “And this type of historical edit is not unprecedented. Look at ‘Hamilton,’ which reimagined history and cast in an unexpected way. It told a story and became a national phenomenon. The people declaring online that they will not buy a ticket because of the casting or the costumes were probably never the audience to begin with.”

“Outrage is cheap,” she added. “Movie tickets these days are not. And I’m betting that people will still go and buy them.”

For her part, Nyong’o has mostly brushed off the criticism and expressed support for Nolan’s artistic vision. During an interview with Elle for the magazine’s May cover issue, the 43-year-old actress, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance in 2013’s “12 Years a Slave,” described “The Odyssey” as “a mythological story.””I’m very supportive of Chris’ intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling,” Nyong’o said. “Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.”

“It’s quite something to be a part of ‘The Odyssey,’ because it is so grand,” she added. “It spans worlds. So that’s why the cast is what it is. We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time.”

Page and Scott have not publicly responded to the backlash over their roles. However, Nolan has addressed his casting decisions in interviews leading up to the film’s release.

Nolan defended Travis Scott’s casting as a Greek bard.  (Travis Scott)

Nolan told Time magazine in May he cast Scott because he wanted to pay tribute to “the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”

While speaking with Rolling Stone earlier this week, Nolan praised Page, who previously starred in the director’s 2010 movie “Inception.”

“It was really thrilling to work with Elliot again,” Nolan said. “I felt with his character in ‘The Odyssey,’ he brings something really special to it. Because, in a way, you’re looking to put a face on certain elements of what Odysseus has done, what that means for the world as a whole. You’re looking to put a face on the tragedy of war. And I think he did an incredible job.”

Historical accuracy

Nolan received backlash on social media for historical inaccuracies in “The Odyssey.” (VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)

“The Odyssey” has also drawn criticism from historians, archaeologists and fans who have argued that some of film’s design choices are inconsistent with the Mycenaean period, which serves as the backdrop for Homer’s epic.

The Mycenaean period, which is also known as the Late Bronze Age, lasted from approximately 1600 B.C. to 1100 B.C. in Greece. Critics have pointed to a number of alleged historical inaccuracies, including armor they argued resembles medieval designs rather than Mycenaean-era equipment, ships some have said appear more Viking than Greek, and costumes and weapons that they claimed are inconsistent with archaeological evidence from the Bronze Age.

However, Ryan McCormick, co-founder of Goldman McCormick PR, told Fox News Digital that debates over historical accuracy are unlikely to deter most moviegoers.

“If a person has a moral apprehension about supporting a film due to someone’s misconduct, it can definitely have an impact on its commercial success,” McCormick said. “I don’t think that a majority of people are going to be turned away because ‘The Odyssey’ apparently has some historical inaccuracies.”

Meanwhile, Nolan has defended the creative choices, saying that filmmakers simply do not know enough about the Mycenaean period to recreate it with absolute certainty.

“The archaeological record of Mycenaean times is very fragmentary,” he said. “A lot of what people think of as historical knowledge of that era is informed and intelligent speculation, but it is speculation.”

“When you create a movie you have to create an entire and consistent world,” he continued. “You’re engaged in your own version of this speculation, your own commitment to the world-building.”

Jimmy Gonzales as Cepheus, Matt Damon as Odysseus and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus in “The Odyssey.” (Melinda Sue Gordon © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

Nolan has also explained that some production decisions were made due to the logistics of filming the epic, including the use of the Norwegian Viking ship Draken.

“We needed something wooden-hulled, built with ancient technology that could be out there in open ocean water, in giant swells, and the Draken has crossed the Atlantic,” Nolan said during a July interview with the Los Angeles Times.

“We shot like it was a documentary,” he continued. “The actors learned how to sail and how to row and the boat’s 26-man crew were dressed as extras and incorporated into the movie.”

Nolan has also previously noted that Homer himself is believed to have lived roughly 400 years after the events of “The Odyssey” and said that the historical gap informed his approach to the film’s design.

“The oldest depictions of Homeric characters tend to be depicted in the manner of people living in Homer’s time,” he told Time magazine in May. “So there’s a pretty strong case there for portraying things that way because that’s the way the first audience received the story.”

Modern dialogue and American accents

Nolan also sparked controversy over the use of modern dialogue and American accents in the movie.  (Melinda Sue Gordon © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

Beyond casting and historical accuracy, some fans also took issue with “The Odyssey’s” contemporary dialogue and use of American accents.

After trailers for the film were released, critics on social media questioned why characters in an adaptation of Homer’s epic used modern expressions such as “Dad” while actors including Damon, who played Odysseus, and Holland, who portrayed his son Telemachus, spoke with American accents.

Nolan also defended that creative choice, explained that he intentionally chose to use dialogue and language that he believed would resonate with contemporary audiences. The director said that his priority was finding “language that has emotional not intellectual meaning to people.”

“I was maybe being naïve, it might bite me on the a–, but I wanted an earthy narrative,” Nolan said. “To me it was a no-brainer.”

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McCormick told Fox News Digital that the online reaction to any of the film’s historical deviations may not be representative of the broader audience.

“I think there is a disconnect,” he said. “Social media tends to amplify the voices of people who are passionate. It may not reflect what the pulse of the masses.”

Nolan’s interview remarks sparked another wave of criticism

Nolan dismissed the criticism of the movie as “irrelevant” before its release.  (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Nolan recently drew backlash after dismissing criticism of the movie as “irrelevant” during an interview.

“Comes with the territory,” he told The Telegraph earlier this week. The outlet described him as “grinning serenely” before “lifting his cup and saucer and taking a theatrical sip.”

“But look, 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,” Nolan added.

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The director told The Telegraph that the reception so far for “The Odyssey” is similar to the concerns he faced while working on his “Batman” trilogy, explaining that when he started with “Batman Begins,” a variety of artists had been creating and depicting the character for decades, “and a lot of freighted thoughts were out there about what he represents.”

“And what I learned over my time on that trilogy,” he continued, “is you can’t worry about any of that at all. What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can.”

Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus in “The Odyssey.” (Melinda Sue Gordon © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

The director said, “In the end, fans of the property — even when we were doing something that was not what they would have done — enjoyed the sincerity of the attempt to put as good a version of it on screen as we could,” adding that he hopes audiences can reach a similar conclusion with “The Odyssey.”

Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said Nolan’s response was largely justified but could have been delivered more diplomatically.

“Objectively speaking, it’s a valid response,” he told Fox News Digital. “But as my mom used to say, ‘It’s not what you say, but how you say it.’ In other words, Nolan could’ve added some finesse to an otherwise factually accurate answer. A better way to phrase it would have been to acknowledge the concern among fans, but that you trust their fears will be allayed once they’ve seen the finished product.”

However, Schmidt viewed Nolan’s response differently, arguing that his remarks were consistent with the reputation he has built as a filmmaker.

“Nolan calling the criticism irrelevant is on brand, and he has earned the right to wave off the haters,” she said. “The movie isn’t even out yet and the early reviews are already strong. Nolan is a film icon who produces blockbusters. Trends bend to him, not the other way around.”

Will any of it matter?

Experts agreed that the controversies are unlikely to impact the movie’s box office success.  (Gilbert Flores/Variety)

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“The Odyssey” is projected for a massive opening weekend when it premieres in theaters on Friday. Industry box office tracking services predict that the movie will make between $85 million and $105 million domestically, with a global launch well surpassing $200 million. The film is expected to outperform Nolan’s last blockbuster “Oppenheimer” across all opening weekend metrics, positioning it to become the director’s largest non-superhero debut ever.

Nolan’s films have grossed a combined total of over $6 billion at the worldwide box office across his 12 theatrical releases.

The experts who spoke with Fox News Digital largely agreed that the movie’s controversies and Nolan’s remarks were unlikely to affect “The Odyssey’s” box office performance.

“Historically, controversy surrounding a movie usually has zero impact on a film’s box office potential,” Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends for Rentrak, said.

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He continued, “In fact, controversy, as amplified by the social media platform, only serves to heighten awareness, curiosity and raises the FOMO factor considerably, likely boosting not harming ’The Odyssey’s’ box office potential.”

McCormick concurred, telling Fox News Digital, “The contention is keeping the film’s name in the media (likely even boosting its profile) and if people are talking about it (or even arguing about it), it’s a great thing.”