Film Critics Are Thrilled Universal Is Skipping Influencer Screenings for ‘The Odyssey’
Key takeaways
- The higher-level disputes concern questions of how to translate the ancient Greek epic to the screen and the relative importance of accurate period detail.
- But whatever they imagine the film to be, the internet’s clout-chasers and tastemakers won’t be the ones to offer first impressions from actual screenings.
- Scott Mantz, a cofounder of the Hollywood Critics Association, wasn’t one to undersell his approval of the move. “GOOD!!” he wrote in a post reacting to the news on X.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Still from The Odyssey.Photograph: Universal Pictures/Alamy Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story From the moment it was announced in late 2024, Christopher Nolan’s ambitious adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey has been a source of intense debate for the world’s keyboard warriors.
The higher-level disputes concern questions of how to translate the ancient Greek epic to the screen and the relative importance of accurate period detail. The ugly gutter fights are about the film’s diverse casting and its supposedly “woke” slant on the source material.
But whatever they imagine the film to be, the internet’s clout-chasers and tastemakers won’t be the ones to offer first impressions from actual screenings. In a sign of apparent confidence reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, Universal Studios has opted to skip the previews it typically holds for influencers. These screenings, common throughout the industry, tend to generate effusive praise on social media and fan blogs that can soften the blow of mixed or negative reviews from professional critics.