JAKARTA - The film The Odyssey directed by Christopher Nolan has not been released, but it has been widely debated. The trigger is the selection of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy.
Citing HuffPost, Sunday, May 17, the film is scheduled to hit theaters in July. In addition to Nyong'o, the film stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya.
One of the criticisms came from conservative political commentator Matt Walsh via a post on X. He questioned Helen of Troy, a figure in Greek mythology who is often said to be very beautiful, played by a black actress.
Walsh judged Hollywood to be applying a double standard. According to him, if a film set in Africa chooses a white actress as the "most beautiful woman in Africa", the public reaction will be very harsh.
Elon Musk then joined in. "That's right. Hypocrisy like that in Hollywood," Musk wrote on X.
According to a HuffPost report, this is not the first time Musk has commented on The Odyssey. Since January, he has highlighted the film's casting choices. He once called the possibility of Elliot Page playing Achilles as one of the "dumbest and most perverted things" he had ever heard.
In late January, Musk also tweeted that "Chris Nolan has lost his integrity" when rumors emerged that Nyong'o would star in the film.
Universal Entertainment, which released The Odyssey, declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter regarding Musk's criticism. Nyong'o also did not respond.
But the criticism of Nyong'o was met with resistance. The View hosts slammed the attack.
Sunny Hostin said scholars have long debated the influence of Ancient Egypt and North Africa on Greek mythology and civilization.
"People who say Helen of Troy can't be played by a black woman don't understand history," Hostin said.
Actor Alec Baldwin also defended Nyong'o. He uploaded a photo of Nyong'o on Instagram and wrote a message for Musk.
"Dear Elon... but he is the most beautiful woman in the world... Alec," Baldwin wrote.
The debate about casting in Hollywood films is nothing new. Issues of race, history, and cultural representation often spark controversy on social media.
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