Chance Townsend serves as the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, focusing on a variety of topics including technology, gaming, dating apps, and digital culture. He holds a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is the proud owner of an orange cat. His work has also been featured in outlets like PC Mag and Mother Jones.
Elon Musk has a history of not delivering on his commitments. According to MuskOmeter, which monitors his promises, he manages to fulfill only about 24% of them.
However, in a turn of events, one of his more whimsical commitments from this year has indeed materialized.
On a Friday afternoon, Musk unveiled the first episode of an AI-generated adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, created using Grok Imagine, the AI video technology from his company xAI. The project is a partnership with Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker, both known for their work in generative AI filmmaking.
The idea was first introduced by Musk in July when he announced on X that Grok Imagine would produce a full-length version of The Odyssey by year’s end, ensuring it would be "historically accurate and true to the art of Homer."
This announcement followed months of Musk expressing dissatisfaction with Christopher Nolan's version of The Odyssey. Critics on the right raised concerns over the film's adherence to historical accuracy after its trailer sparked discussions about its armor, which some felt resembled Roman rather than Greek styles.
The controversy intensified further with the casting choices of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as Sinon. Musk publicly criticized Nolan on X, stating that the director had "lost his integrity" in making these casting decisions, arguing that a Black actress should not portray the character traditionally described as the most beautiful woman in history.
It’s worth noting that this discussion raises interesting points about beauty standards, especially considering that Helen of Troy is a mythical figure, not a historical one. While Troy itself was a real city, the existence of the Trojan War remains a topic of debate among scholars. In mythology, Helen is described as the daughter of Zeus and is said to have been born from an egg, making "historical accuracy" a rather flexible term in this context.
Musk was also vocal about Page's role, sharing critiques that included misgendering the actor. The confusion arose partly because initial reports did not clarify which actors were playing which roles, leading to speculation that Page would portray Achilles. Ultimately, Page played Sinon, a character who is primarily featured in Virgil's Aeneid, a Roman retelling of the Trojan saga.
With these casting decisions, Musk and other right-leaning commentators predicted a poor reception for Nolan's adaptation, coining the phrase "go woke, go broke." Contrary to expectations, however, the film had a successful opening, grossing $124.5 million in July—a remarkable figure for an R-rated movie running nearly three hours long. IMAX screenings sold out well in advance, and as of now, the film has earned over $1.7 billion globally.
Nolan himself has expressed skepticism about the potential of generative AI. Earlier this year, he stated in an interview with AFP that the notion of AI replacing human creativity is "nonsense,” according to reports from The Guardian.
How does Musk’s AI-generated version of The Odyssey fare?
The first episode, lasting just over seven minutes, depicts the Greeks' arrival at Troy but features an entirely white cast. The animation suffers from typical issues found in generative AI videos: overly perfect teeth, a strange weightlessness in hair textures, and skin that appears oddly blurred due to the model’s misunderstanding of lighting and perspective. Backgrounds also display a glitchy transition where low-resolution textures appear before sharper ones load.
In terms of storytelling, the writing leaves much to be desired, and distinguishing characters can be challenging as many of them look alike or resemble well-known figures too closely.
Within its brief runtime, only Odysseus is named, which may leave viewers confused about the identities of other characters unless they have recently revisited The Odyssey. For instance, it might not be obvious that one of the two men featured is Palamedes, as many would need context to make that identification.
In promotional material, Wonder Studios stated, "Homer didn’t have Grok… we do," acknowledging the difference between AI and traditional storytelling. In contrast, Homer masterfully told his tale nearly 3,000 years ago without the aid of technology.
As Christopher Nolan's adaptation begins to finish its theatrical run, it is set for digital release on November 17. In the meantime, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, featuring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana, is undergoing a cultural reassessment thanks to the success of Nolan's film. This human-crafted movie currently holds a 3.5 average rating on Letterboxd.
