A “tsunami” of backlash has erupted following director Christopher Nolan’s decision to cast Black actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. The Hollywood director has taken a “reimagined” approach to Homer’s epics in his film The Odyssey, which was filmed in Greece and is set to premiere this July.
The film, which appears to prioritize Hollywood’s diversity mandates over the historical and literary context of the Homeric epics, received over €6 million ($6.9 million) in Greek state funding. According to Star Channel’s editor-in-chief, Ilias Papanikolaou, Nolan will collect upwards of €6.5 million ($7.5 million) in taxpayer money for what Papanikolaou describes as a “falsification” of a global literary treasure.
The funding decision, recently published on the “Diavgeia” transparency portal, has raised serious concerns. “Who vetted the script and the cast?” Papanikolaou asked. “Did no one question seeing a famous Black actress like Lupita Nyong’o in the credits? The decision was an amendment, meaning they reviewed the file in depth. Even if we assume they missed it, did they not see the press reports? Nolan filmed in Acrocorinth, Pylos, and Methoni—who granted those permits without checking the script?”
The Odyssey follows controversy over Netflix’s Cleopatra
This backlash mirrors the international outcry surrounding the 2023 Netflix docudrama Queen Cleopatra in which the depiction of the Greek queen of Egypt as Black sparked legal threats in Egypt and accusations of “historical revisionism.” Critics argue that like the Cleopatra case, Nolan’s casting ignores the Hellenistic roots of these historical and mythological figures.
Even Elon Musk joined the public outcry targeting the casting of Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. Musk suggested the move was a cynical grab for accolades, stating Nolan chose her simply because he “wants the awards.”
In one particularly provocative post, Musk retweeted a video of a pastor dancing in church with the caption: “Christopher Nolan peeing on Homer’s grave.”
The new Oscar inclusion standards
The controversy comes as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences implements its 2024 representation and inclusion standards. These criteria require films to feature actors from underrepresented groups, including those of African descent, to be eligible for Best Picture nominations.
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