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“The Odyssey” will make its way to theaters this July, with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o starring as Helen of Troy.
The film features a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya.
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Conservative political commentator Matt Walsh took issue with Nyong’o’s casting in a few posts on X.
“We’re told that we shouldn’t object to Helen of Troy being portrayed as a black woman,” Walsh posted on Wednesday. “And yet if a major Hollywood studio made a film set in Africa and cast a white woman as ‘the most beautiful woman in Africa,’ those same people would literally riot in the street. If, say, Sydney Sweeney was cast in the role, they’d be driven to murderous violence. We all know this is the case.”
Elon Musk, who quickly agreed with Walsh’s similar posts from Tuesday, chimed in again: “Absolutely true. Such hypocrisy in Hollywood.”
Musk has weighed in on “The Odyssey” casting choices since at least January.
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He called Elliot Page’s potential casting as Achilles one of “the dumbest and most twisted things I’ve heard.”
Musk also tweeted that “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity” in late January when it was first rumored that Nyong’o would star in the film.
A rep for Universal Entertainment, which is releasing the film, declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter on Musk’s comments about the film. Nyong’o also didn’t respond for comment.
Several people have responded to Musk’s comments. “The View” co-hosts slammed the criticism of Nyong’o’s casting.
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“If you are a student of history, you know that scholars have debated for decades the extent to which Greek mythology and civilization were influenced by Ancient Egypt and North Africa,” Sunny Hostin said on Thursday’s episode.
“People saying Helen of Troy could not possibly be played by a Black woman don’t know history,” Hostin continued.
On Friday, Alec Baldwin posted a photo of Nyong’o on Instagram with a caption directed at Musk.
“Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec,” he wrote.
