Nolan explains American accents in The Odyssey: accessibility over historical purism

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Ever since the first look at The Odyssey emerged, a small sub-section of the audience has critiqued the lack of both Greek accents and archaic language in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem. Yes, Tom Holland's Telemachus even says 'dad' in one scene – complete with an American accent that seems more at home in Queens than Ithaca.

There have even been some, remarkably, who have even pointed towards the historical inaccuracies of soldiers' helmets. In case you need reminding, this is a tale with Greek gods, monsters, and magic.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Nolan has downplayed any discourse surrounding his upcoming release, explaining his directorial choices as a way to ensure the story remained approachable for all.

"When you read the poem, it's very earthy and accessible," Nolan says of the foundational classic that charts Odysseus' arduous journey home after his exploits in the Trojan War.

"So, what I wanted to do with this film was really take a modern audience and throw them into a very relatable world, an exotic world, a world that they've hopefully never seen before in film. But I wanted them to connect with the emotional life of the characters, and so I did not want to fall into the trap of sort of reproducing the kind of Hollywood of the 1950s or '60s, a lot of which was based on the kind of romantic art and so forth that it reinterpreted Greek myths and the classical world."

The director, who was once attached to helm Troy in the early 2000s, concludes, "We wanted to try and be a little fresher than that, [a] little more immediate and accessible."

The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya, is released in cinemas on July 17.

For more, check out 2026's other remaining significant movie release dates . Then, dive into our current, pre-Odyssey ranking of the best Christopher Nolan movies and our extensive The Odyssey beginner's guide .