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Christopher Nolan defends modern dialogue, calls 'The Odyssey' backlash 'irrelevant'
Director says audiences should judge the film after watching it, not based on early promotional material
- PUBLISHED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 10:04 AM
- By:
- ANI
Christopher Nolan has addressed the online backlash surrounding his upcoming epic The Odyssey, saying pre-release criticism is ultimately "irrelevant" because audiences have not yet seen the finished film.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker also defended his decision to use modern dialogue in the adaptation of Homer's classic poem, saying the creative choice was intended to make the story feel fresh and accessible for contemporary audiences.
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Speaking in a recent interview, Nolan responded to criticism that emerged following the release of promotional material for The Odyssey. The film has sparked debate online over several casting choices, as well as its use of American accents and contemporary dialogue, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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"Comes with the territory," Nolan said.
"But look, these conversations that happen before people see the film, they're always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet."
The filmmaker compared the current reaction to the scrutiny he faced while directing The Dark Knight trilogy, saying the experience taught him to focus on creating the strongest possible interpretation of the source material rather than responding to public opinion.
"I spent 10 years of my life dealing with Batman," the 55-year-old said.
"When I came on to Batman Begins, writers and artists had been working on this beloved character for almost 65 years, and a lot of freighted thoughts were out there about what he represents. And what I learnt over my time on that trilogy is you can't worry about any of that at all. What you have to do is honour the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can."
Nolan also reflected on the initial backlash to Heath Ledger's casting as the Joker in The Dark Knight. At the time, Ledger was best known for films including 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale, leading some fans to question the decision. He later won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
"In the end, fans of the property, even when we were doing something that was not what they would have done, enjoyed the sincerity of the attempt to put as good a version of it on screen as we could," Nolan said.
"So, when it comes to The Odyssey, all I can do is make the best film I possibly can in the most sincere way. It's very different from how anyone else would do it, but that's what adaptation is."
In a separate interview, Nolan also explained why the film uses modern dialogue instead of adopting a more formal style often associated with stories set in the ancient world.
"When you look at the ancient world, people tend to view the ancient world in weird ways and there's a lot of cultural prejudice, elevating it just because it's old," he said.
"When you go to the poem, what you find is something that's really earthy, grounded and accessible. So, for me, in building the world of the film, what I talk to all the actors about is, I want to center it on that and make it feel very fresh for modern audiences and do away with some of those assumptions."
The film has also attracted attention over its casting. Following the announcement, podcast host Matt Walsh criticised Lupita Nyong'o's casting as Helen of Troy in posts on X. Elon Musk replied to one of Walsh's posts in agreement and also interacted with posts mocking Elliot Page's casting as Sinon.
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, whose long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War reunites him with his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, and son Telemachus, portrayed by Tom Holland.
The ensemble cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Travis Scott, Charlize Theron and Elliot Page.
The film is scheduled to arrive in theatres on July 17.