New Trailer for Nolan’s Film Faces Backlash
The newest trailer for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming summer film, odyssey, has been met with notably low ratings on YouTube. This comes after Nolan sparked controversy by choosing to race-swap Greek characters and have them speak in contemporary language.
Currently, YouTube conceals the exact number of downvotes a video gets, but alternative sites can reveal that data. As of this writing, estimates suggest that the trailer has received around 368,000 downvotes compared to just 57,000 likes, from approximately 4.6 million views. This translates to a staggering 86.5% of viewers expressing disapproval. Some have even noted that this dislike count outpaces the previous record for Disney’s poorly received snow white remake.
Interestingly, earlier trailers released prior to this also faced minimal backlash, seemingly before the public caught wind of the director’s more controversial choices.
One significant point of contention is the casting of Lupita Nyong’o, an African actress, in the role of Helen of Troy, a character known as the most beautiful woman in the original Greek tale recounting the Trojan War. This decision drew criticism from various quarters, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, who referred to it as an “award” nomination strategy.
Greek cultural news outlets further criticized the film for not featuring any actual Greek actors, especially given its basis in a storied element of Greek mythology.
Additionally, the movie drew negative attention for casting Elliot Page, a transgender actor, in a yet-to-be-specified role. There were whispers that Page would take on the character of Achilles, but recent leaks now indicate her role as Sinon—a character found in Virgil’s aeneid, who is not even mentioned in Homer’s odyssey.
The latest trailer offers a glimpse of Nyong’o’s character and confirms Page’s involvement in a scene depicting a male fight. These snippets have given rise to a multitude of memes, with the top comments leaning heavily into humor.
One popular comment quipped, “The face that emptied 1,000 seats.” Another joked, “Look, I’m Helen now,” referencing a well-known line delivered by an Ethiopian actor in the film Captain Phillips. Comments like “Odyssey: Downtown LA Edition” have also popped up, reflecting broader sentiments. One viewer even remarked about the overwhelming negativity in the comments section, suggesting it might be worthwhile for Universal to respond.
However, the casting decisions are just part of the reasons behind the film’s backlash. The costume design has also been criticized for its lack of authenticity, failing to accurately represent the clothing and armor from the Trojan War period.
Ultimately, Nolan’s choice of dialogue has raised eyebrows as well. As the trailer indicates, many characters come off sounding more like Gen Z individuals than warriors from the ancient past.
