The first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Greek epic The Odyssey has been mercilessly mocked after fans noted the cast were using American accents.
The big-budget film released its first preview on Tuesday ahead of a July release date, with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland leading the cast as the titular Greek King begins his epic quest to return home after the Trojan war.
But fans have taken to social media to roast the preview after noting that all of the characters are using American accents.
They also called out the film’s ‘historically-inaccurate’ language, after saying Tom’s character referred to his father as Dad, while Matt’s Odysseus declares ‘let’s go!’ while storming into battle.
It’s no doubt The Odyssey is Nolan’s most ambitious, and expensive, film yet, with the $250 million blockbuster the first to be shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras.
Fans wrote: ‘The usage of the word ”dad” in those times throw me. Would have expected ”father?” haha;’
The first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Greek epic The Odyssey has been mercilessly mocked after fans noted the cast were using American accents
The big-budget film released its first preview on Tuesday ahead of a July release date, with Matt Damon (pictured) and Tom Holland leading the cast
‘The way characters talk feels very modern and very off-putting, in movies like this you expect seeing dialogue more elegant and poetic;’
‘Am I alone in being put off by how modern the speech is? It sounds like they’re trying to have an epic conversation on the sidewalk outside Starbucks;’
‘I thought the same thing. Also Matt Damon yelling ”LETS GOOOOO” as they charged on the battlefield. Why not ”onward” or something more of the time.’
Under a clip of the trailer on YouTube, comments included: ‘People complain about the armour being historically inaccurate. But at least they nailed Odysseus’ Boston accent;’
‘I never realised I had a Greek accent until this trailer dropped; ”My Dad is coming home” and ”Let’s Go” in the most American accents is so jarring;’
‘When I think of epic Greek tragedies I always think of American accents and modern vocabulary;’
‘It’s amazing a British actor playing a Greek with an American accent;’
‘I hope it’s good but man… the dialogue is driving me crazy. Odysseus yelling ”Let’s go!” like his football team just scored is so off.’
The Odyssey is set to be an adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic of the same name, which sees the Greek King embark on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War in a bid to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope.
With Matt Damon starring as the titular hero Odysseus, the preview offered a glimpse at the trials and tribulations he’ll face on his quest.
But fans have taken to social media to roast the preview after noting that all of the characters are using American accents
Fresh from her return to The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway stars as his devoted queen, who is forced to fend off potential suitors in her husband’s absence.
‘Help me go home,’ Odysseus pleads, after the trailer first showed him washed up on a faraway seashore.
Penelope is later seen declaring that ‘Ithaca’s king is coming back’, but Antinous refuses to believe it.
‘My dad is coming home,’ insists a hopeful Telemachus, with his father’s house having seemingly fallen into disrepute and chaos during his 20-year absence.
The trailer hints at the growing rivalry between Odysseus’s son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland, and Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson, who attempts to pursue Penelope.
The pair are seen at odds throughout the trailer, with a confident Antinous hinting he could turn Penelope’s head.
It remains to be seen whether Penelope will succumb to temptation, as she is seen sharing a kiss during one steamy scene, before tearfully declaring her ‘world is gone’.
Odysseus battles war and the high seas in the dramatic trailer, before its end hints at a duel with a mythological beast.
The Odyssey also stars Zendaya as Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, who protects Odysseus on his journey.
The ensemble cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Will Yun Lee, and Mia Goth.
Already known for his high art, and high-budget fare, Nolan’s latest film could prove to be his most ambitious yet, with the $250 million budget the most expensive of his career, his first to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras.
Although Homer’s epic poem begins ten years after the events of the Trojan War, Nolan’s adaptation appears to include some major events from the end of the war, including Odysseus’s plan to trick the Trojans by hiding Greek soldiers inside a giant horse presented as a peace offering, though the Trojan horse is only briefly referenced in Homer’s tale.
The Odyssey was last memorably adapted for the silver screen by the Coen Brothers in their 2000 satirical musical O Brother, Where Art Thou? starring George Clooney.
Nolan’s latest film comes after his 2023 biopic Oppenheimer won him a long-awaited Oscar for Best Director, and one for Best Picture.
The film, which starred Cillian Murphy as the theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons, grossed $975 million at the box office.
The Odyssey will be released in the UK on July 17.
