Nolan's 'The Odyssey' tops box office as Musk vows AI remake
Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of Homer’s "The Odyssey" opened in July 2026 and became a global box‑office sensation, earning $264 million worldwide in its first weekend – the biggest opening of the year and Nolan’s strongest debut since 2012’s "The Dark Knight Rises." The film was shot entirely with IMAX 70 mm cameras, a first for a live‑action feature, and received near‑universal praise, with Rotten Tomatoes scores above 94%.
The star‑studded cast, featuring Matt Damon, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page and others, provoked a wave of right‑wing criticism. Elon Musk led an online campaign denouncing the diverse casting, calling it “racist” and “anti‑white.” Despite calls for a boycott, the movie performed strongly in markets such as Brazil (over 1 million viewers in a week) and Greece, where audiences largely embraced the film.
In response, Musk announced on X that his AI tool Grok Imagine will produce a “historically accurate” full‑length version of the Odyssey by the end of 2026, sharing a three‑minute AI‑generated clip. The pledge reignited debate over AI’s role in cinema and added a high‑profile tech angle to the film’s cultural impact.