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Why Elon Musk thinks Lupita Nyong’o can't be Helen in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'
The tech titan expressed his unhappiness at the rumoured casting choice and criticised the film's director
- PUBLISHED: Mon 2 Feb 2026, 10:59 AM
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We can't say for sure whether the Helen of Troy's face launched a thousand ships. The face of her rumoured cinematic adaptation has, however, has set off barbs.
Elon Musk, the co-founder of electric carmaker Tesla and the space exploration firm SpaceX, waded into the controversy surrounding the rumoured casting of Lupita Nyong’o in Christopher Nolan's upcoming fantasy action film, The Odyssey, stating that the director has "lost his integrity".
Chris Nolan has lost his integrity
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026
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Musk was responding to a tweet that said the Helen of Troy was "fair skinned and blonde" and that the casting choice—not finalised as yet—goes against what was written thousands of years ago, in Homer's Greek epic Odyssey.
Reactions on social media, as always, were swift and divided. While some defended Nolan's choice, others derided him.
Is Nyong'o playing Helen?
While Nyong’o and Nolan teamed up for an untitled project in November 2024, it wasn’t until the following December that the project was revealed to be The Odyssey, according to Variety. Nyong’o’s role in the film, however, has yet to be confirmed.
The daughter of Kenyan politician Anwang' Nyong'o, Lupita has starred in many prominent movies and bagged honours as well. For her role in 12 Years a Slave (2013), she gained widespread critical acclaim and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She is also the recipient of an Actor Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
Produced by Universal Pictures and Syncopy at an estimated budget of $250 million (Dh918.12 million approximately), The Odyssey ranks as Nolan's most expensive made to date.
Nolan's adaptation of the Greek epic features a ensemble cast comprising Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron, among others. Damon plays Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, and the movie chronicles his long journey back home after the Trojan War as he reunites with his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway).
Late last month, a teaser highlighted rapper, singer and songwriter Travis Scott, as playing a key role in the film, further amping up expectations. The teaser was aired during the broadcast of an NFL AFC Championship match in the US. The rapper recorded the song The Plan for Nolan's 2020 film Tenet.
The movie's makers released its first teaser released in December last year.
Nolan began writing The Odyssey in March 2024, and the film was announced in December. Filming took place in 2025 across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland and Western Sahara. The movie is also Nolan's first to be shot entirely on IMAX's 70 mm film cameras.
Nolan's previous movie Oppenheimer, based on the life of American theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, won seven Oscars, five Golden Globes and seven BAFTA awards in 2024.