Christopher Nolan Says ‘The Odyssey’s’ Modern English Dialogue ‘Was a No-Brainer’ Even If ‘It Might Bite Me on the Ass’ and ‘I Was Maybe Being Naïve’

Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, which dates back to around the 8th or 7th century BC. As a result, some moviegoers were surprised when the film’s various trailers let it slip that Nolan’s characters speak contemporary English dialogue in mostly American accents. The creative decision sparked intense discourse on social media, one that Nolan probably wasn’t too surprised by, it turns out.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times ahead of “The Odyssey” theatrical release this month, Nolan said that as the film’s screenwriter, he wanted to prioritize “language that has emotional not intellectual meaning to people.” This is why the characters in Nolan’s “Odyssey” speak in contemporary English dialogue and not Homer’s words.

“I was maybe being naïve, it might bite me on the ass, but I wanted an earthy narrative. To me it was a no-brainer,” Nolan said of his decision.

Nolan also felt it was a no-brainer to cast the movie with major star power, from Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway to Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal and more. The director noted that his characters “are mythological figures, iconic in some ways,” so “I wanted to cast it big, get the finest bunch of actors” because their familiar faces would help a contemporary audience feel at home.

“The Odyssey” had to navigate a few other social media firestorms before its release. Criticism was lobbed at the armor design in the movie, which many on social media felt resembled Batman’s more modern-looking Batsuit.

“There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze,” Nolan said in defense of his design while talking to Time magazine earlier this year. “The theory is they probably could have blackened bronze in those days. You take bronze, you add more gold and silver to it and then use sulfur… With Agamemnon, Ellen [Mirojnick], our costume designer, is trying to communicate how elevated he is relative to everyone else. You do that through materials that would be very expensive.”

Nolan also defended the casting of rapper Travis Scott as a bard, whose appearance in an early trailer caught some by surprise. He said: “I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”

“The Odyssey” opens in theaters July 17 from Universal Pictures.