"It's meaningless to criticize without even seeing the movie." Christopher Nolan remains calm amid 'Odyssey' controversy

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Director Christopher Nolan: "This happened with Batman too"... Firm stance on 'Odyssey' controversy

Ahead of the summer release of his film 'Odyssey,' widely considered the biggest movie of the season, director Christopher Nolan has directly refuted a wave of criticism.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Nolan responded calmly to the online debates that have persisted since before the film's release. "This kind of thing always comes along," he said. He added, "Such conversations before seeing the movie are always meaningless because no one actually knows what the film is like."

The most controversial aspect of the film has been its casting. Lupita Nyong'o was cast as Helen of Troy, but critics argued that her dark skin tone does not match Homer's original description of Helen in the epic poem. There was also dissatisfaction with Elliot Page, a short and slender actor, being cast as the Greek soldier Sinon. Additionally, changes to dialogue into modern phrasing became another point of contention.

Notably, he drew parallels between this controversy and his experience during the 'Batman' trilogy. Nolan recalled, "When I joined 'Batman Begins,' there were already heavy speculations about what the character symbolized after being loved for 65 years." He continued, "I learned during that time that such things don't need to be taken seriously. Respect for the original work means expressing it in the way you interpret most strongly."

He added, "In the end, fans appreciated the sincerity of those who tried their best to bring something different from what they expected onto the screen," and expressed hope that 'Odyssey' would reach the same conclusion. "All I can do is make the best movie with the utmost sincerity. It may be a different approach than anyone else's, but that is precisely what adaptation means," he said.

Nolan also addressed the modern-sounding dialogue that became a topic of discussion in the trailer. In an interview with Channel 4 News, he explained, "When looking at the ancient world, people tend to have cultural biases that treat it as strange simply because it is old." He noted, "If you actually examine the original poem, you can see it tells a very rough, realistic, and accessible story." He further added, "So when building the world, I emphasized to the actors to focus on that point—to approach modern audiences freshly and remove such preconceptions."

Nolan's remarks divided online opinion. Some agreed with his stance, saying, "How can you judge without even seeing the movie?" Others pointed out, "Even when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker, the internet erupted. Nolan has already proven himself many times by trusting his vision." However, a significant number of voices still maintained their critical perspectives.

Meanwhile, 'Odyssey' is Nolan's largest-scale project to date, with a production budget of $250 million. It is also the first film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. The movie stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson. It will be released in the United States on the 17th and in South Korea on August 5.

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*This content was translated by AI.