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Emily Wilson Slams Nolan's “Odyssey” Amid Backlash, $727 M Earnings

7/30/2026

35 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Emily Wilson Critiques

Emily Wilson, a U.S. classicist, posted a Review of Books critique titled “An Uncomplicated Man” calling Nolan’s “The Odyssey” gimmicky and abysmal.
Joyce Carol Oates defended Nolan on X, calling Wilson’s tone haughty while praising the film and the 1997 Coppola-co-produced miniseries.
The movie earned $90 million domestically in its second weekend and $727 million worldwide after 12 days.

Summary

Emily Wilson Translates

Emily Wilson discovered she was the first woman to produce an English-language translation of The Odyssey.
Her six-year translation project has drawn a wave of misogynistic commentary online.
Her essay collection Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea, slated for September, links ancient Greek and Roman texts to modern culture, drawing parallels between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s hip-hop and Aristophanes’ comedies.

History

Historical Context

In May 1997 NBC aired the miniseries “The Odyssey,” directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and filmed across the Mediterranean. The two-part event drew 20.6 million viewers for its premiere, won a 49th Emmy for directing, and sparked both praise and sharp criticism. That pattern of high-profile Homer adaptations shaping debate resurfaces today as Emily Wilson’s translation meets misogynistic backlash.

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Emily Wilson Critiques

Emily Wilson, a U.S. classicist, posted a Review of Books critique titled “An Uncomplicated Man” calling Nolan’s “The Odyssey” gimmicky and abysmal.
Joyce Carol Oates defended Nolan on X, calling Wilson’s tone haughty while praising the film and the 1997 Coppola-co-produced miniseries.
The movie earned $90 million domestically in its second weekend and $727 million worldwide after 12 days.

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