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‘Doctor Strange’ Director Says Elon Musk ‘Doesn’t Know S— About Cinema’ After Musk Vows to Make AI ‘Odyssey’: ‘His Opinions on Art Are Worthless’
Film director Scott Derrickson has publicly criticised Elon Musk after the Tesla and X owner vowed that his AI tool Grok would produce a full-length, "historically accurate" film version of Homer's Odyssey by the end of 2026. Musk's announcement came amid an ongoing campaign against Christopher Nolan's blockbuster adaptation of "The Odyssey", which he has repeatedly attacked over casting choices he considers "woke". Derrickson, known for directing "Doctor Strange" and "The Black Phone", responded on X by saying Musk "doesn't know shit about cinema" and stopped reading in his twenties, adding that "his opinions on art are worthless".
Musk's opposition to Nolan's film dates back to March, when he called the director "an anti-White racist" for casting Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and accused him of chasing awards. He also mocked transgender actor Elliott Page's casting as Sinon, and has previously targeted other films, including "Barbie" and Disney's "Snow White" remake, over perceived feminist or progressive themes. Despite the backlash, Nolan's "The Odyssey", starring Matt Damon, has proved a major commercial success, opening to $264 million worldwide and continuing to sell out cinema screenings, including Imax 70mm showings, months in advance.
In short
- Elon Musk pledges Grok AI will make a full "Odyssey" film by year's end.
- Director Scott Derrickson blasts Musk's cinema opinions as "worthless".
- Musk has long attacked Nolan's "Odyssey" over casting, despite its $264m success.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those defending Musk's right to critique argue that casting decisions and departures from source material are legitimate subjects for artistic discussion, as is the question of whether creative choices serve the story. They contend that one need not be a professional filmmaker to hold valid perspectives on cinema, and that questioning artistic decisions is a normal function of criticism rather than inherently ideological. Exploring cinema through new media like artificial intelligence, they further argue, represents a genuine frontier worth pursuing.
The case against
Critics argue that Musk's consistent targeting of specifically films featuring progressive themes or diverse casting reveals ideological rather than genuinely artistic motivation, and that personal attacks—labelling a director "anti-White racist" and mocking transgender actors—constitute bad-faith engagement rather than legitimate film criticism. They contend that meaningful commentary on cinema requires some grounding in artistic development and sincere critical engagement, which Musk's pattern demonstrates he lacks. His sustained campaign, they argue, uses film as a proxy for cultural grievance rather than advancing thoughtful artistic discourse.
Explained simply
Homer's Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem that has been adapted for film and television many times over the decades. Filmmaker Christopher Nolan has recently released a major film version of the story, which has achieved significant commercial success. The film has, however, become the subject of public debate about its creative choices.
Elon Musk, a technology entrepreneur, has publicly criticised Nolan's film adaptation, particularly objecting to how certain roles have been cast. He believes the casting decisions depart from traditional interpretations of the characters. In response, Musk has announced that his AI tool, Grok, will produce its own film adaptation of The Odyssey, which he says will be ready by the end of 2026.
The dispute reflects wider questions about how classic stories should be adapted for modern audiences and who should make those creative decisions. It also raises questions about whether artificial intelligence should be used to produce films.
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