With apologies to James Cameron, director Christopher Nolan is the king of the world.
Sure, Cameron’s glossy, action-packed films crush the box office, but he’s working with state-of-the-art effects and blockbuster material.
Nolan draws a massive crowd by combing through history and Greek Literature.
It’s no contest.
Nolan’s “The Odyssey” earned a whopping $264 million globally in its opening weekend. The film is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem, a beloved part of world literature that hardly screams “box office catnip!”
And, if any other director had helmed it, the ticket sales would be dramatically lower. It’s undeniable.
What’s almost as newsworthy? Nolan sat down with the folks at Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend” for an extended chat about “The Odyssey.”
What’s important about that? Sadly, everything.
Hollywood stars rarely grace Fox News in any capacity. The ones that do are the usual right-leaning suspects – Dean Cain, Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voight.
Would Mark Ruffalo drop by to discuss his latest project? Scarlett Johansson? Madonna?
Steven Spielberg? Quentin Tarantino?
Not a chance to very, very unlikely.
Yet Nolan, who isn’t a conservative nor does he broach politics in his promotional chats, graciously dropped by the show to promote his film.
Even Greg Gutfeld, the unofficial king of late-night TV (best ratings but an hour-plus earlier than his peers), can’t rally A-listers to his show.
Here’s a snippet of their exchange, courtesy of Fox News PR:
ON DECIDING TO MAKE THE ODYSSEY AND RETELL HOMER’S STORY
Griff Jenkins, FOX & Friends Weekend Co-Host: You took the audience on just an amazing journey of a classic most of us forgot since ninth grade. Why this movie and why now?
Christopher Nolan, Filmmaker: You’re always looking for a gap in the culture as a filmmaker. You’re looking for something that you can challenge yourself with and you bring something new to the audience, hopefully. And so Greek mythology, the world of Greek mythology and in particular, the Odyssey, the sort of original foundational text, that hadn’t been done in modern cinema on the IMAX screen. The thing about Homer is, you know, it touches on timeless things, universal truths and everything. And so I think it’s fascinated cultures for 3,000 years because each generation can find its relevance. So, yeah, bringing it to a modern cinema audience. Certainly we try to make it accessible, you know hopefully to young people, people of all ages, really. I mean, it’s just one of the great adventure stories.
Nolan deserves enormous respect for reaching out to a right-leaning audience. The move comes at a time when select conservatives are furious with Nolan for the film’s perceived wokeness.
That’s mainly due to two casting decisions that feel like diversity assignments – the addition of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and trans performer Elliot Page as a noble warrior.
That set off an online culture war that meant little, if anything, at the box office. Nolan’s name alone is the key to the film’s success. He’s simply the biggest directorial star in the galaxy.
The appearance raises a question, though. Was this Nolan’s attempt to reach out to the heartland audiences, the folks who questioned those casting choices?
Perhaps.
Either way, it’s a smart move. It’s also a quiet victory in the Culture Wars. Artists routinely visit “The View,” a hard-Left showcase brimming with crazed conspiracies and ugly rhetoric.
Those same stars wouldn’t dare step foot on a Fox News sound stage. And we all know why.
“Fox & Friends Weekends” may be on the Right, and some may disagree with the hosts and their commentary. It’s still nowhere near as combustible as what “The View” spews.
Will more actors follow Nolan’s lead? Likely not, alas. They should all the same. It’s good for their promotional efforts and even better for the country.
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