Christopher Nolan Bends The Knee To DEI In ‘The Odyssey’

Movie fans are calling out what they see as inconsistencies in Christopher Nolan’s approach to his upcoming summer blockbuster “The Odyssey.” 

Several creative decisions have raised eyebrows, including the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, the inclusion of a transgender-identifying actress Elliot Page, and the addition of rapper Travis Scott to the cast.

And yet, the Academy Award-winning director drew the line at using orchestral music, saying he felt it would be historically inauthentic.

In a recent interview with Time, composer Ludwig Göransson explained that Nolan told him to avoid orchestral music.

“It’s not like the orchestra existed back then,” Göransson said. “It was a challenge and also an opening to try to make something unique.” The composer instead used “35 bronze gongs of varying sizes” to create the sounds.

Nolan defended his decision to cast Scott during the same conversation, framing it as a thematic choice.

“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,” Nolan told Time.  

The “Oppenheimer” director did not address the controversy surrounding Page’s casting in an as-yet-unknown role, though rumor has it she will play Achilles. 

Nolan did confirm that Nyong’o will play two roles — Helen of Troy and her sister, Clytemnestra. This has led to backlash online, as fans point out that the actress looks nothing like Helen of Troy as described in Greek mythology. “The Iliad” describes her as “white-armed” or “pale-armed,” while in “Doctor Faustus,” her face is said to be so beautiful that it “launched a thousand ships.”

Some critics are speculating that Nolan may have chosen a “diverse” cast because he’s hoping for Academy Award nominations. 

The Academy’s current “Representation and Inclusion Standards” state that in order to comply, a film must feature a lead or significant supporting actors from “underrepresented racial or ethnic groups,” include at least 30% of all actors from at least two underrepresented groups, or have the narrative focus on an underrepresented group. 

Since “The Odyssey” is about men, the film would only qualify for Best Picture if it met one of the first two criteria. 

Nolan brushed off the criticism, saying he took liberties with films in the past, too.

“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. ‘What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?’”

He went on, “Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about ‘Interstellar.’ But you just don’t want people to think that you took it on frivolously.”

“The Odyssey” is scheduled to hit theaters July 17.

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus alongside an ensemble cast of A-list stars, including Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, and Zendaya as Athena.