Elon Musk Floats AI-Made ‘Odyssey’ Amid Criticism of Nolan Film

Elon Musk has suggested he could finance a new adaptation of The Odyssey or create one himself using his Grok artificial intelligence platform, continuing his public criticism of Christopher Nolan’s successful film based on Homer’s epic poem.

In a series of posts on X, Musk said Grok Imagine could produce a feature-length version of The Odyssey that reflects what he described as a more faithful interpretation of the original work. “Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of ‘The Odyssey’ that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer,” Musk wrote.

Musk also responded “down” to an X user who proposed giving filmmaker Mel Gibson $100 million to direct an Odyssey adaptation that would be “painstakingly historically accurate.” The suggestion included dialogue taken directly from Homer’s poem in Homeric Greek, along with historically accurate casting, ships, armor and weapons. Gibson, who serves as one of President Donald Trump’s special ambassadors to Hollywood, is known for directing historical films including Braveheart, Hacksaw Ridge and The Passion of the Christ.

The billionaire has become the most prominent critic of Nolan’s The Odyssey, arguing that the filmmaker’s casting choices misrepresent ancient Greece. Musk has repeatedly criticized the inclusion of Black actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and transgender actor Elliot Page as Sinon, while accusing Nolan of prioritizing diversity in pursuit of Academy Awards recognition. He has also amplified posts on X claiming the film is hostile to Greek cultural heritage, though some of the posts he shared contained misinformation, including incorrect descriptions of Page’s role and misleading claims about the Academy’s diversity standards. Other conservative commentators, including Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh, have also criticized the film’s casting.

Classics scholars have challenged claims that the film lacks historical accuracy. Bard College professor and Odyssey translator Daniel Mendelsohn wrote in The New York Times that Helen of Troy is a mythological figure and noted that some scholars believe Nolan’s diverse casting is authentic because ancient Greeks did not view race through a modern lens. Mendelsohn also wrote that Homer’s descriptions of Helen are limited and that “we actually have no idea what Helen looked like.” Miami University classics professor Denise McCoskey told Slate that ancient Greeks would likely be more concerned about the story being performed in English than by the skin color of its actors, arguing that race was not central to their understanding of the myth.

Despite the controversy, The Odyssey has received strong reviews from both critics and audiences. The film holds a 94% critics score and a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and has earned more than $282 million worldwide in less than a week, surpassing its reported $250 million production budget.

As of Wednesday morning, Musk’s net worth stood at $791.7 billion, making him the world’s wealthiest person. Although he became the first trillionaire in June, declining SpaceX shares have reduced his fortune. Musk owns 38% of SpaceX and nearly 11% of Tesla.