The official The Odyssey account on X has restricted comments on its posts amid a wave of backlash over Christopher Nolan’s casting choices for the film. The decision to cast transgender actor Elliot Page and Black performers Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Travis Scott in the Greek epic adaptation prompted controversy among some fans.
The official The Odyssey social media account restricted comments as backlash over the film’s casting continued to intensify online
Nolan’s upcoming action-fantasy epic is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem, which dates back to around the 8th or 7th century BC.
The film features a star-studded ensemble cast, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Lupita Nyong’o in the roles of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Charlize Theron as Calypso, and Zendaya as Athena, reports HuffPost.
However, the casting choice sparked debate after Nyong’o was announced as Helen of Troy. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh was among the notable figures to speak out against the decision. He posted on X, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Speculation that Page would play Achilles also sparked backlash, with some critics questioning the casting against traditional portrayals of the Greek warrior. According to Newsweek, much of the backlash centered on Page’s identity as a transgender man, with some critics labeling the casting as “woke” or driven by political motives. Page came out as gay in 2014 and publicly came out as transgender in 2020.
Beyond the casting controversy, the trailer’s release in May sparked further debate over the use of American accents and modern language in the film. One Reddit user wrote, as per HuffPost, “The way characters talk feels very modern and very off-putting in movies like this; you expect [to see] dialogue more elegant and poetic.”
Following months of controversy and criticism, The Odyssey premiered in London on July 6, reports DailyMail. With a reported budget of $250 million, the film is expected to be one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. It is set to hit theaters worldwide on July 17.
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Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta for Mandatory
