Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis thanks Christopher Nolan for the ‘The Odyssey’ spotlight
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has thanked filmmaker Christopher Nolan for bringing Ancient Greece back into the spotlight with his hit movie ‘The Odyssey’
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you've access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Need help with your subscription?
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has thanked filmmaker Christopher Nolan for bringing Ancient Greece back into the spotlight with his hit movie ‘The Odyssey’
Published - July 30, 2026 04:48 pm IST
‘The Odyssey’ director Christopher Nolan talks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a video call, in Athens, Greece, on July 28, 2026. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has thanked filmmaker Christopher Nolan for putting a modern spotlight on Ancient Greece with his hit movie The Odyssey, his office said Tuesday.
Mitsotakis congratulated the British director in a teleconference on Monday on the success of the movie, which has renewed international interest in Homer's ancient epic.
The Odyssey, which follows Greek hero Odysseus on his long journey home after the Trojan War, stars Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway as Odysseus and Penelope, with Tom Holland portraying their son Telemachus.
It has topped the US box office for two straight weeks and has already taken $640 million worldwide. Mitsotakis thanked Nolan for the film's contribution to "boosting global interest in ancient Greek civilisation," according to a statement from the prime minister's office.
"Such productions bridge Greece's rich cultural heritage with contemporary creativity," Mitsotakis said. While packing cinemas around the world, The Odyssey has generated public debate and criticism.
Spotify has reported a surge of interest in audiobook translations of The Odyssey, with Gen Z and millennials leading the demand.
But tech titan Elon Musk has taken to X on multiple occasions to criticize the film, which in his opinion "desecrated" the story. Months before its release, the world's wealthiest man led criticism of Nolan for casting black actress Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and transgender actor Elliot Page as the Greek warrior Sinon.
ALSO READ: Christopher Nolan interview: On defying the gods with ‘The Odyssey’ and protecting movie magic
In Greece, there has been criticism over the lack of Greek actors in the film, beyond extras.
Mitsotakis, however, congratulated Nolan on the film's "great box office success" and expressed appreciation that a significant part of the production was filmed in Greece.
Several scenes were shot in Messenia and Corinth in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. The Peloponnese was the heartland of the Bronze Age civilisation in Homer's epic.
Published - July 30, 2026 04:48 pm IST
English cinema / entertainment (general)
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
