On December 23, 2024, Universal Pictures revealed on X that Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated follow-up to Oppenheimer would be an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. From that point forward, every cinephile would be staring at July 17, 2026, its release date, on the calendar for the next year and a half, begging for this day to arrive immediately. We’re now a little over two months away from The Odyssey hitting theaters and dominating IMAX screens, and the public opinion of this monumental adaptation of the Greek epic poem has never been more complicated due to the recent drop of a full trailer, which gave audiences their first extended look at what Nolan’s been cooking up beyond a few teasers. Rather than delirious excitement, the Internet has its pitchforks out at the film, as the trailer has inspired a wave of unfounded ire towards Nolan. Gripe about the dialogue all you want, but you can’t convince us that the trailer doesn’t rock.
Modern Dialogue in ‘The Odyssey’ Trailer Caused an Internet Uproar
The Odyssey is such a seismic event in pop culture that Nolan went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert just to promote the release of its trailer, but no one had any idea he would ignite a firestorm on social media as a result of this inexplicably controversial teaser. The two-minute trailer covers the meat and potatoes of Homer’s story, particularly Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) journey home and the home front of Ithaca and the tension between Odysseus’ son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and her potential suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson).
All it took was one three-letter word to stunt the enthusiasm of many online commenters: dad. For the fastidious bunch, the utterance of modern Western vernacular broke all credulity, amplified by Antinous even saying “daddy” while confronting Telemachus. While spearheading an army for battle, Odysseus shouts, “Let’s go!” something you’re more likely to hear from an athlete running onto the field rather than an ancient warrior king. On a broader level, the cast, made up of actors of various ethnicities, speaking in American accents, made everything feel off-kilter for those hoping for a faithful adaptation and traditional swords-and-sandals epic. The casting of familiar Hollywood stars like Damon and Holland registered as cosplay for many as well.
We Should Never Doubt Christopher Nolan
Speaking with Colbert, Nolan said he hoped his film would allow viewers to approach the text with a “fresh” mindset, as a story that is this old and ingrained in our understanding of narrative storytelling should be wide open to interpretation. Rather than engaging with these dialogue and accent choices, the online backlash is treating the anachronisms as embarrassing mistakes on Nolan’s part. While it’s rooted in real events, Homer’s Odyssey is ultimately a work of fiction, freeing itself from the burden of strict historical accuracy. Nolan is exercising his creative vision to adapt this canonical story for the present day. Modernizing Homer’s language is likely a wise choice considering that Nolan’s movies are massive blockbusters that play to the widest audience.
Related
Christopher Nolan Reveals ‘The Odyssey’ Is Longer Than ‘Oppenheimer’s 11 Miles of Film
‘Oppenheimer’s IMAX 70mm print weighed upwards of 600 lbs.
The Odyssey is certainly not the first adaptation of historical texts to alter the language and dialect of the source material. If anything, Westernizing accents is the status quo. Historical movies like The Last Temptation of Christ, The Last Duel, Silence, Paths of Glory, and Spartacus have their actors speaking in their native accent. Other films like Gladiator and Cleopatra made audiences associate British accents with all things Ancient history, even if the respective story is set in Rome. If the actors aren’t going to speak in archaic Greek, it will only look silly if they try to mimic the accent.
Online naysayers are embarking on a bold endeavor by doubting the vision of Christopher Nolan, who is coming off arguably his crowning achievement as a director, the Best Picture-winning cultural phenomenon, Oppenheimer. Everyone is so caught up in the dialogue and accents that we’re glossing over the awe-inspiring spectacle and epic grandeur synonymous with Nolan, gloriously displayed in the trailer. The tactile and old-school Nolan looks to have stayed true to his word with the appearance of various practical effects, notably the handmade craft of Odysseus’ various foes. The operatic weight and emotionality of Interstellar and Oppenheimer track in this unfairly maligned trailer. If Nolan could turn a 3-hour biopic about the creation of the atomic bomb into a tent-pole blockbuster, then we should feel confident that he’ll have a strong grip on anachronistic dialogue. Above all else, judging a movie based on its trailer, before its released to the public, is ill-advised.
