The 2004 war epic Troy is capitalising on renewed audience interest in large-scale ancient-world narratives, following the commercial dominance of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the film assembled a major cast and received an extraordinarily large budget exceeding $175 million, requiring international filming locations and thousands of extras. Production proved challenging, with production relocations, severe weather, and cast injuries disrupting the shoot.

However, both Brad Pitt and Peter O'Toole expressed profound dissatisfaction with the film and its director, with O'Toole notably departing a screening halfway through and Pitt describing the experience as contractually obligated drudgery. Despite these reservations from its principals and mixed critical reception, Troy achieved substantial financial success at release, generating $500 million globally. A director's cut released in 2007 eventually prompted reconsideration of the material, offering a reappraisal of Petersen's ambitions.