The debut trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey has ignited a wave of criticism, with viewers taking issue with the actors' American accents and the use of contemporary language that feels out of place for an ancient Greek setting.
Trailer Details and Cast
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film adapts Homer's classic poem and features a star-studded cast. Matt Damon stars as the Greek hero Odysseus, Anne Hathaway plays his wife Penelope, and Tom Holland portrays their son Telemachus. The ensemble also includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.
In the latest teaser released on Tuesday, Odysseus pleads with Calypso (Theron) for assistance in returning home after the decade-long Trojan War. Meanwhile, Penelope fends off a group of suitors, including the persistent Antinous (Pattinson). During one exchange, Antinous tells Penelope, "I want you to choose me," to which she replies, "Ithica's King is coming back." Antinous retorts, "No, he's not."
Another scene shows Antinous confronting Telemachus, saying, "You're pining for a daddy you didn't even know, like some sniveling bastard." This line, along with Damon's exclamation "Let's Go!" in a previous trailer, has drawn particular ire.
Fan Reactions
Social media platforms, especially Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), have been flooded with complaints. One Reddit user wrote, "The American accents are incredibly jarring for a movie in this time period." Another argued, "They should really all have British accents. Somehow that works better with history stuff."
A third commenter noted, "It just feels wrong," while another pointed to Pattinson's "daddy" line, calling it "so out of place in a sword & sandals movie with this much gravitas." Others echoed this sentiment, with one user stating, "It felt so out of place. Same with Matt Damon's 'Let's Go!' I'm hoping the dialogue isn't too contemporary and pulls the viewer out of the period."
Some fans speculated that the modern dialogue might be intentional. One Reddit user suggested, "It has to be intentional," while another added, "For something as big as The Odyssey, you'd think they'd make the way the characters speak to each other sound less...modern?" On X, a user lamented, "Literally took me right out. Where's the accents…where's the grammar of that time period!?" Another questioned, "Dad ...dad? ...in that era..., I was expecting — 'My father is coming home.' Am I the only one who is a bit uncomfortable with this?"
Nolan's Vision
Nolan announced his adaptation of The Odyssey in December 2024, months after winning his first Oscar for the historical drama Oppenheimer. During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the director revealed that he first encountered the epic poem during a school play at the age of "four or five." Nolan acknowledged that it is "a story that we all kind of know a bit about," but assured fans that his adaptation would allow them to "come to it really fresh."
The Odyssey is scheduled for release in theaters on July 17.
