A Classic Literature Professor's Pre-Release Thoughts on 'The Odyssey'

Dr. Ben Reinhard of the Franciscan University of Steubenville weighs in on the controversy surrounding 2026's most-anticipated (or dreaded?) film.

(This article was written in May of this year)

When this site’s editors asked me to write a preview for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey adaptation back in January, I agreed without much hesitation. After all, it seemed like an easy enough task: I respect much of Nolan’s work as a director, and the Odyssey is one of my very favorite classical texts. But I knew I would be unable to write the preview until the spring semester ended. So I shelved the project, focused on my academic work, tuned out, and waited for May.

A lot can change over the course of the semester, as it turns out. First came the casting rumors, and then the trailer, and – after that – the deluge. Incendiary YouTube videos attacking Nolan’s film have racked up millions of views; prestige media outlets like the Atlantic rallied to its defense; even Elon Musk has waded into the fray. Given that Nolan’s Odyssey has become the film that launched a billion clicks, and the subject of a feud between the world’s richest man and (arguably) its most famous director, what more can a simple literature teacher hope to add?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.