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From the moment<\/span> it was announced in late 2024, Christopher Nolan\u2019s<\/a> ambitious adaptation of Homer\u2019s Odyssey<\/em> has been a source of intense debate for the world\u2019s keyboard warriors.<\/p>\n The higher-level disputes concern questions of how to translate the ancient Greek epic to the screen and the relative importance of accurate period detail. The ugly gutter fights are about the film\u2019s diverse casting<\/a> and its supposedly \u201cwoke\u201d slant on the source material.<\/p>\n But whatever they imagine the film to be, the internet\u2019s clout-chasers and tastemakers won\u2019t be the ones to offer first impressions from actual screenings. In a sign of apparent confidence reported by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> on Thursday, Universal Studios has opted to skip the previews it typically holds for influencers. These screenings, common throughout the industry, tend to generate effusive praise on social media and fan blogs that can soften the blow of mixed or negative reviews from professional critics.<\/p>\n While it should be noted that any number of TikTok and YouTube content creators will still get to see the film ahead of its release<\/a> along with the press, the decision to not directly court their buzz has proved widely popular\u2014not least with the film critics themselves, many of whom plan to attend Odyssey<\/em> screenings after its July 7 global premiere in London.<\/p>\n Scott Mantz, a cofounder of the Hollywood Critics Association, wasn\u2019t one to undersell his approval of the move. \u201cGOOD!!\u201d he wrote<\/a> in a post reacting to the news on X. \u201cBecause EVERYONE knows those so-called \u2018influencer\u2019 social media reactions are TOTAL BULLSHIT.\u201d<\/p>\n Other writers were a bit more tongue-in-cheek, if seemingly pleased as well; IndieWire chief film critic David Ehrlich joked<\/a> on X that \u201cthis is what Homer would have wanted.\u201d Some wondered if the snub could be the sign of a developing trend. \u201cGood on Universal!\u201d wrote<\/a> Kristen Lopez, editor-in-chief of the independent newsletter The Film Maven<\/em>, on X. \u201cInteresting to see if other studios follow suit (though I\u2019d lean towards no).\u201d<\/p>\n Tim Grierson, senior US critic for Screen International, tells WIRED that skipping the influencer showings is a \u201cgreat\u201d idea. \u201cActual film critics have gotten used to how the studios try to diminish whatever importance we have by often letting influencers be the first people to sound off on a film,\u201d he says. \u201cIt’s just another way in which Hollywood tries to instill the idea that some new piece-of-crap blockbuster is really \u2018for the fans, not the critics.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Universal is betting on the old-fashioned publicity cycle. \u201cEssentially, the studio is declaring that it doesn’t need influencers\u2014who tend to be very gushy and uncritical\u2014to bolster the film’s initial word-of-mouth,\u201d Grierson says. At the same time, he notes, \u201cit was also a canny move on Nolan’s part, because now whoever does get invited to a press screening\u2014including influencers, who will see it at the same time as the rest of us\u2014will feel like, \u2018Oh wow, Christopher Nolan values me as a smart, professional critic!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhether or not that’s intentional, it’s certainly not the worst way to endear yourself to the people responsible for evaluating your movie,\u201d says Grierson, who expects to review the movie himself. (And who knows, maybe critics who feel their work is receiving the respect it deserves are slightly more inclined to write favorably of a film.)<\/p>\n While a handful of aggrieved anti-woke crusaders<\/a> claim that elevating the response of establishment critics over hot takes from internet personalities indicates a fear that The Odyssey<\/em> is in for major right-wing backlash, there\u2019s no reason to suspect that anyone at Universal is sweating right now. The film is on track for a massive opening of $80 million to $100 million<\/a>, and movie theater apps and websites were instantly overloaded<\/a> when tickets went on sale earlier this month. It shattered the record for most seats sold<\/a> in a 24-hour period at BFI Imax, which features the largest screen in the UK, and showings in premium Imax and 70-mm formats rapidly sold out across the US, leading scalpers to list tickets for as much as $1,000<\/a> on eBay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n