‘That’s what adaptation is…’: Christopher Nolan explains why ‘The Odyssey’ uses modern dialogue and American accents

WASHINGTON: 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 explained why his adaptation of Homer’s classic poem features modern dialogue, describing the creative decision as an effort to make the story feel fresh and accessible for contemporary viewers.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan, in a recent interview responded to criticism that emerged following the release of promotional material for ‘The Odyssey’. The film has sparked online debate over some casting choices as well as the use of American accents and modern dialogue.

“Comes with the territory,” Nolan said, adding, “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,” as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Christopher Nolan explains why people think historical epics have to sound so formal, and why he completely broke that rule on THE Odyssey

Interviewer: The language is very modern. You say “Dad” rather than “Father.” What’s the thinking behind that?

Tom Holland: I wouldn’t… pic.twitter.com/rLIhrtXUSg

— Fola (@OFolaby) July 9, 2026

The filmmaker compared the current reaction to the scrutiny he experienced while directing his acclaimed ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy. Nolan said working on Batman taught him to remain focused on delivering 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, adding, “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,” as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Nolan also reflected on the initial skepticism surrounding Heath Ledger’s casting as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’. At the time, Ledger was widely recognised for romantic comedies including ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘A Knight’s Tale’, leading some fans to question the choice.

Ledger later received a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. “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,” he said as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Nolan has also defended the film’s use of modern dialogue. In a separate interview to a publication, he said the approach was intended to capture the grounded and accessible nature of Homer’s original work rather than present an overly formal interpretation of 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, adding, “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,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Following the film’s casting 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. (ANI)