Tech mogul Elon Musk has proposed a substantial financial commitment of $100 million for Mel Gibson to direct a historically accurate adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey," to be performed entirely in Homeric Greek. The suggestion emerged on the social media platform X, where a user advocated for such a project with "painstakingly historically accurate ships, armour, weapons, and casting."
Musk responded to the user's post with a simple declaration of agreement: "I'm down." This proposal is the latest in Musk's ongoing critique of director Christopher Nolan's recent film, which Musk has publicly disparaged for its casting choices.
Musk has specifically targeted the casting of Black actress Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and transgender actor Elliot Page. In January, Musk stated that Nolan had "lost his integrity" over these casting decisions. He further commented in May, suggesting Nolan's choices were motivated by a desire for awards, stating, "He wants the awards." Musk also criticized reports of Page playing Achilles, calling it "one of the dumbest and twisted things I've ever heard," although Page plays the Greek soldier Sinon in Nolan's film.
Despite Musk's criticisms, Nolan's "The Odyssey" achieved a strong opening weekend, earning $124 million domestically and $263.7 million globally, marking Nolan's largest worldwide opening to date.
Musk also indicated that his artificial intelligence assistant, Grok, would develop a full-length, historically accurate "Odyssey" film by the end of the year. He shared an AI-generated video depicting a scene from the epic, which has garnered significant attention online, with over 18 million views combined for Musk's post and the clip.
Christopher Nolan recently commented on AI, likening it to a "Trojan horse," suggesting its intentions are transparently visible.
Musk, whose net worth is estimated to be over a trillion dollars, has had limited direct involvement in Hollywood. His past credits include executive producer on the 2005 film "Thank You for Smoking." Meanwhile, Mel Gibson's current focus is the sequel to "The Passion of the Christ," titled "The Resurrection of the Christ," with its two parts scheduled for release in May 2027 and May 2028.