'The Odyssey' trailer tops 600,000 dislikes despite glowing early reactions

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey continues to divide opinion online, with the film's latest trailer surpassing 600,000 dislikes on YouTube even after early reactions from critics praised the historical epic following its London premiere.

According to Cosmic Book News, the film's official countdown trailer has amassed more than 611,000 dislikes compared with around 68,000 likes, while attracting approximately 5.7 million views and over 31,000 comments. The trailer remains among YouTube's top trending movie videos.

The dislike count has continued to climb despite overwhelmingly positive first reactions from critics, who described Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic as a triumph following its world premiere in London. Rather than slowing the backlash, the favourable reviews appeared to coincide with another surge in negative engagement.

The controversy surrounding The Odyssey has been fuelled by several online debates in recent weeks, including criticism of the film's casting choices, discussions about its use of modern American accents for ancient Greek characters and comments made by cast members about Homer's original text. Social media also amplified criticism after Elon Musk publicly attacked Nolan ahead of the premiere.

Universal Pictures previously limited replies on the film's official X account as discussion surrounding the trailer intensified, a move that generated further online conversation.

Despite the online backlash, anticipation for The Odyssey remains strong. Industry tracking has suggested the film is still expected to perform well at the box office, and advance IMAX screenings sold out months before release, underscoring significant audience interest beyond social media discourse.

Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o and Charlize Theron, The Odyssey marks Nolan's first feature to be filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. The mythological epic is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on July 17.

Whether the trailer's record-breaking dislike count reflects genuine audience sentiment or simply a coordinated online campaign remains unclear. The film's theatrical release is expected to determine whether the digital backlash has any meaningful impact on its commercial success.