Trending Now - Elon Musk Critiques Diverse Casting Choices in Nolan's Odyssey
WHO:
ComingSoon.net - Elon Musk criticized the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey."
Forbes - The film features actors including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o.
WHAT:
Deadline - Musk claimed that Nolan cast Nyong’o to pursue awards, stating, “He wants awards.”
Forbes - The film courted some controversy for shooting in the disputed Western Sahara territory, which has been occupied by Morocco for decades.
Forbes - Multiple film publications have projected “The Odyssey” will be a box office hit this summer.
Deadline - Deadline reported last week “The Odyssey” will be one of the summer’s top-grossing films, noting the film had already sold out IMAX screenings a year in advance.
Variety - Musk and other right-wing commentators have criticized the casting of both Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page in "The Odyssey," labeling it as "racist" due to perceived historical inaccuracies.
The Hollywood Reporter - Musk agreed with a comment from Matt Walsh stating, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’”
The Hollywood Reporter - Walsh suggested that if a white actress were cast as "the most beautiful woman in Africa," there would be public outrage, stating, “We all know this is the case.”
Forbes - Critics have also targeted the casting of rapper Travis Scott in a small role, questioning its appropriateness.
Forbes - Musk responded, “True,” to a post that alleged Nolan is “stomping on Homer’s grave.”
Forbes - Musk also responded, “True,” to a post by commentator Matt Walsh suggesting Nolan cast Nyong’o as Helen of Troy to avoid being called racist for casting a white actress.
Forbes - The Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh criticized the casting of Nyong’o, stating that Nolan knew he would be called racist if he gave “the most beautiful woman” role to a white woman.
Forbes - Musk reposted and responded to multiple posts on X early Wednesday that attacked “The Odyssey,” stating, “True,” to a post alleging Nolan is “racist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage.”
Forbes - Musk also boosted multiple posts that attacked Elliot Page’s gender identity, calling one tweet that suggested Page could not open a pickle jar a “banger.”
Forbes - The Hollywood Reporter writer James Hibberd criticized the film's accents, stating, “everybody sounds like they’re from Ohio,” and noted it resembles “Ithaca, New York, than Ithaca, Greece.”
Deadline - Musk claimed that Nolan cast Nyong’o to pursue awards, stating, “He wants awards.”
Forbes - The estimated budget for "The Odyssey" is $250 million, making it the most expensive film of Nolan's career.
Forbes - The film is set to open in theaters in July.
Deadline - Musk reposted multiple posts on X criticizing the casting choices, including comments about Nolan being "racist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage."
TMZ - Musk joined others on X who criticized the casting of Nyong’o as an insult to the character of Helen of Troy.
WHERE:
Forbes - Filming for "The Odyssey" took place in Greece, Italy, Iceland, and Scotland.
Forbes - The film courted controversy for shooting in the disputed Western Sahara territory.
WHEN:
Forbes - The film is set to open in theaters in July.
Forbes - Musk previously criticized "The Odyssey" as early as January.
WHY:
Forbes - Critics argue that the casting choices lack Greek actors and are historically inaccurate.
Forbes - Nolan defended his casting choices by stating that the story has been handed down as oral poetry, analogous to rap.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Nolan compared his process for developing "The Odyssey" to his film "Interstellar," stating, “For Interstellar, you’re looking at, ‘What is the best speculation of the future?’ When you’re looking at the ancient past, it’s actually the same thing.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Musk previously characterized the casting of Nyong’o as a "bold choice" by Nolan, stating, “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.”
Forbes - Nolan compared his process for developing "The Odyssey" to his film "Interstellar," stating, “For Interstellar, you’re looking at, ‘What is the best speculation of the future?’ When you’re looking at the ancient past, it’s actually the same thing.”
Forbes - Nolan defended his choice to cast Travis Scott, stating, “I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”
Forbes - Nolan compared his process for developing "The Odyssey" to his film "Interstellar," focusing on speculation about the ancient past.
Forbes - Nolan stated he hopes people will enjoy the film, even if they disagree with his choices.
(UPDATED May 14, 2026 17:32 UTC)
Christopher Nolan's upcoming film "The Odyssey" is generating significant buzz, with multiple film publications predicting it will be a box office hit this summer, and Deadline reporting that it has already sold out IMAX screenings a year in advance. However, the film has faced some controversy due to its shooting location in the disputed Western Sahara territory, which has been occupied by Morocco for decades. In discussing his creative process, Nolan compared "The Odyssey" to his previous work "Interstellar," emphasizing that both projects involve speculation about the future and the ancient past.
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(UPDATED May 14, 2026 07:50 UTC)
Musk and several right-wing commentators have criticized the casting of Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page in the upcoming film "The Odyssey," calling it "racist" due to perceived historical inaccuracies. Musk echoed Matt Walsh's controversial remark that “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world,’” while Walsh also suggested that if a white actress were cast as "the most beautiful woman in Africa," it would spark public outrage. Additionally, critics are questioning the appropriateness of rapper Travis Scott's casting in a small role, with Musk previously labeling Nyong’o's casting as a "bold choice" by director Chris Nolan and stating that “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.”
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(UPDATED May 14, 2026 01:35 UTC)
In a recent exchange on social media, Elon Musk agreed with a post alleging that director Christopher Nolan is “stomping on Homer’s grave,” and also responded affirmatively to commentator Matt Walsh's suggestion that Nolan cast Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy to sidestep accusations of racism. Walsh criticized the casting choice, arguing that Nolan anticipated backlash if he gave the role of “the most beautiful woman” to a white actress. Meanwhile, Nolan defended his approach to developing "The Odyssey," likening it to his work on "Interstellar," stating that both projects involve speculation about the future and the ancient past.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 23:20 UTC)
Musk has been active on X, reposting and responding to various posts that criticized Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey," including one that accused Nolan of being racist towards the Greek people, to which Musk simply replied, "True." He also supported posts that targeted Elliot Page's gender identity, labeling one tweet that mocked Page's ability to open a pickle jar as a "banger." In response to criticism about the film's accents, Nolan defended his casting choice of Travis Scott, explaining that he wanted to reflect the idea of the story being passed down as oral poetry, similar to rap.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 21:22 UTC)
Elon Musk has publicly criticized the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film "The Odyssey," claiming that Nolan is pursuing awards with this choice. The film, which boasts a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya, is set to open in theaters this July and comes with a hefty budget of $250 million, making it Nolan's most expensive project to date. Filming took place in various locations, including Greece and Italy, but has sparked controversy over its casting decisions and the choice to shoot in the disputed Western Sahara territory.