Millions of people just illegally got to watch The Odyssey for free
Sure, there have been other films released lately, but there’s really only one that everyone’s talking about – The Odyssey.
Christopher Nolan’s star-studded epic was shot entirely on IMAX film – marking the first feature film to be shot in this way.
But this has meant film fans are scrambling for tickets in order to be able to watch it in its 'true form', with only three cinemas in the UK able to screen 70mm IMAX.
And with those pretty much sold out for weeks, others have settled for watching it on whatever big screen they can get tickets to.
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Well, it seems some have opted to forgo the tickets for a smaller screen as it’s thought millions watched it illegally over the weekend.
Yep, The Odyssey ended up free for people thanks to a viral social media post showing the Matt Damon-led epic.
A post went viral on X on Saturday (25 July) as a now-suspended account said: “Someone uploaded The Odyssey full movie on X. Can you believe it?”
And Variety reports that with a ‘high-quality version of the film’ shared on the post, it reached over 2.1 million views within two and a half hours.
The movie was then replaced by a takedown notice and the account was then suspended.
Obviously, it’s worth noting that The Odyssey actually has a running time of two hours and 52 minutes. So, unless people decided to watch Nolan’s masterpiece sped up, they likely won’t have got to watch the full film for free.
And, as we all know from those classic Noughties ‘You wouldn’t steal a car’ adverts, it’s illegal to stream a copyrighted film like this on X.
Universal Pictures gave a statement to Variety about the leak, writing: “We became aware of the unauthorised posting of the film and immediately initiated takedown protocols. We take copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all appropriate remedies to protect our content and intellectual property rights.”
Odyssey expert slams Christoper Nolan
Nolan has said Emily Wilson's 2017 translation of The Odyssey was a big inspiration for his movie, but Wilson has now said she would be 'ashamed to have written any part of this script' in an article for London Review of Books.
Wilson, it turns out, hates just about every aspect of the film, saving particular criticism for the characterisation of Charlize Theron's Calypso, Anne Hathaway's Penelope, Zendaya's Athena and even the Cyclops, whom she says are underwritten in comparison to Homer's epic poem.
She also complains Damon's Odysseus 'isn’t complicated or wily or artful'.
Responding to the film's casting, which has been criticised by MAGA supporters, she said 'most of the non-white actors [...] play versions of the Black best friend, whose only role in the drama is to provide aid to the white protagonist'.
Summing up, she writes: "It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible."
However, it's unlikely Wilson would prefer Elon Musk's take on the Ancient Greek epic.
Elon Musk’s Grok The Odyssey
X owner Musk has been outspoken in criticising the casting of The Odyssey and recently declared that his AI platform, Grok Imagine, will make a ‘historically accurate’ adaptation.
Musk wrote on the social media platform: “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.”
He also re-shared a post with a three-minute clip that a user claimed had been generated by AI.
Before the film came out, Musk reposted abusive messages aimed at the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, as well as Elliot Page as Sinon.
He claimed Nolan ‘wants the awards’ and ‘lost his integrity’.
“Our cast is representative of the world,” Nyong’o said in response to right wing critics in May. “I’m not spending my time thinking of a defence. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.”
Nolan also said the conversations were irrelevant and also spoke about the likely impact of AI on film-making: “The idea that it replaces human beings wholesale and human creativity, to me it’s a nonsense.”
The Odyssey: Origins of the ancient poem and the filming locations
Written: Between 725 BC and 675 BC, so more than 2,500 years ago
Based on a true story? Mostly no (cyclops aren’t real). Historians are unsure if the Trojan War really happened
Who wrote The Odyssey? Homer, but historians don't know much about him and debate if he is a single person or a group of poets
How long is the movie? 2hrs, 52mins - best go to the loo beforehand
Where was the movie filmed? The Hellenic Film Commission explained Nolan and co filmed at several locations in the Peloponnese, including Nestor’s Cave, Voidokilia Beach and Almyrolaka Beach, which are all on the island of Pylos; Methoni Castle, at a port town of the same name in southwestern Greece; and Acrocorinth, a monolith overlooking the ancient city of Corinth.
According to Vogue, filming also took place in Morocco, in Marrakech, Tahanaoute, El Haouz, Essaouira and Ouarzazate. The cast and crew were also spotted on the Sicilian island of Favignana, while they filmed in Iceland for the underworld scenes.
Continuing their whistlestop tour of Europe, the Odyssey team also filmed in Scotland, along the Moray Firth Coast and at Findlater Castle and Culbin Forest.
The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm vs normal cinema screens: Helpfully, the film's website shows different versions of the trailer in six different formats, all with different aspect ratios. You can see the difference between IMAX 70mm (warning you now, there are only three IMAX 70mm screens in the whole of the UK) and the standard 35mm format.
The Odyssey is in cinemas now.
Topics: Christopher Nolan, Elon Musk, Cinema, Film
Jess Battison