Award-winning director Christopher Nolan has confirmed in a new interview with Time magazine that Lupita Nyong’o will, in fact, play Helen of Troy in his film adaptation of Homer’s poem ‘The Odyssey’.
However, the surprise does not end there; the Kenyan-born actress will also play the role of Clytemnestra, the half-sister of Helen of Troy and the wife of the Achaean king Agamemnon.
The news comes after months of online speculation and backlash for the film’s casting choices. To understand the criticism surrounding Nolan’s casting decision, it is best to explain the three most controversial roles.
Helen of Troy
Nyong’o’s first role in the film as the character of Helen of Troy is what prompted the ongoing criticism from fans of the original work.
While the role of Helen of Troy is very minor in the events of ‘The Odyssey’, Helen is written and regarded by fans as the “most beautiful woman in the world” in ‘The Iliad’. In the poem, she is so highly revered for her beauty that her “abduction” at the hands of the Trojan prince Paris spurs the Spartan king Menelaus to ignite the popular conflict known as the Trojan War.
Clytemnestra
In her second role, Nyong’o will play Helen’s half-sister Clytemnestra. Clytemnestra is notably not depicted as Helen’s twin in either ‘The Odyssey’ or ‘The Iliad’, but rather a half-sister of Helen who shares a mother, Leda, hence the second issue according to critics.
The Bard
Aside from Lupita’s casting, Nolan also cast rapper Travis Scott in the role of the bard. Explaining his reasoning behind the casting, Nolan said he wanted to amplify the fact that the story was passed through oral poetry.
“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan said.
The three roles are not prominently displayed on the first trailer for the film released last week.
‘The Odyssey’ stars Matt Damon in the role of as Odysseus alongside stars such as Tom Holland as Telemachus, Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso, Robert Pattinson as Antinous and Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’s wife Queen Penelope.
The film is set to premiere worldwide on July 17.
