By David Mack
(CNN) — As fans of Christopher Nolan eagerly await the July 17 release of his take on “The Odyssey,” a different kind of enthusiast is also bristling with anticipation: scholars and other devotees of the ancient world.
At universities and high schools across the globe, classics teachers have been preparing for what they hope will be a boom in student interest in their field. Meanwhile, museums have been hosting “Odyssey”-themed events, while academic-led book clubs focusing on the classic Greek tale have reached capacity.
Think of it as Barbenheimer for the Classics Department.
“I knew it was going to be big if Christopher Nolan was directing it, and anytime we can get people talking about the things that we’re studying in class, it’s exciting for me as an educator,” said Jennie Luongo, a Latin teacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, who also serves as president of the American Classical League.
Based on the ancient epic poem by Homer, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca whose 10-year-long journey home after fighting in the Trojan War is marked by numerous encounters with mythical beings.
Given Nolan’s record of creating blockbuster films that dominate the culture, including “Oppenheimer” (2023), “Inception” (2010) and his “Batman” trilogy, Hollywood analysts have been forecasting massive box office returns for “The Odyssey,” with some speculating it is likely to surpass more than $1 billion in sales worldwide.
Classics Studies teachers, whose work typically focuses on the history and culture of the ancient Mediterranean basin, are hoping that many moviegoers who see the film will then be inspired to pick up a copy of the original poem or perhaps even sign up for a class. “Clearly, it’s going to have a huge impact and a huge audience,” said Nina Papathanasopoulou, a classics professor at College Year in Athens and the public engagement coordinator for the Society for Classical Studies. “It seems like it could be a really good way to rekindle interest in the ancient world.”
Another sign that the movie is already generating huge buzz, at least in the media? In addition to online debates over the casting, costuming and accents teased in the film’s trailers, Emily Wilson, the classicist whose 2017 translation of The Odyssey Nolan has said he read, is experiencing a huge burst of attention. “With the movie coming out, I am inundated with queries from journalists,” Wilson told CNN.
All this hoopla is not without precedent. After Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” came out in 2000, the New York Times noted a surge in books being published on the ancient world, a phenomenon it dubbed “the ‘Gladiator’ effect.” The monumental success of that movie, which earned more than $460 million and won five Oscars, including Best Picture, also kickstarted a wave of similar films like “Alexander” (2004), “Troy” (2004), and “300” (2006), as well as TV shows like HBO’s “Rome” (2005-2007). Scholars also reported that the phenomenon increased student intake in the classics.
Now, work is underway around the world to ensure Nolan’s latest movie has the same impact. In Los Angeles, for example, staff at the Getty Museum planned an entire day of events at the end of May that was inspired by the film and included lectures, discussions, and a selection of performances from a folk opera adaptation of The Odyssey. In Australia, one prominent book retailer has convened a month of in-person and online lectures themed around the text, which is set to culminate in a screening of Nolan’s film at a Melbourne cinema. And in the UK, regional branches of the Classical Association have been focusing on Homer in their book clubs, with plans also being considered for a film screening for members. “The movie has already attracted new audiences to our charitable work and events and we’re excited for more engagement,” said Katrina Kelly, the association’s engagement director. “We are very much looking forward to seeing Nolan’s take soon!”
Between January and May, staff at the UC Berkeley Arts & Humanities also used the upcoming release of Nolan’s film to advertise an “epic book club for the world’s most epic tale” that featured seven online meetings. Organizers had been expecting a cozy little affair, but were astonished when more than 1,300 people from around the world signed up to participate. In February, UC Berkeley enlisted Kim Shelton, one of its professors of ancient Greek and Roman studies, to provide nine minutes of commentary on the film’s costumes and settings when the trailer for Nolan’s movie was released. And in April, more than 55 students and staff held a “Homerathon” on campus to read the entirety of The Odyssey over a 12-hour period. “I hope there is a surge in interest,” Shelton said. “I am teaching my class on the Trojan War this fall for that exact reason.”
Further north, lovers of ancient literature are also bracing for interest to pique. Robert Weir, the president of the Classical Association of Canada, recalled that after “Gladiator” was released the number of students taking introductory courses in Greek and Roman civilization at the University of Windsor, where he is an associate professor, roughly doubled to 250-300 from just a few years prior. With Nolan’s new film coming out, “there may well be an uptick,” Weir said.
But not everyone is so convinced. Weir’s colleague at the university’s Greek and Roman Studies program, Max Nelson, said while there was “no doubt” that “Gladiator” had brought renewed interest to the classics among students, Scott’s 2024 sequel did not cause any resurgence of interest that he could sense. Still, he noted that “The Odyssey” had already been the subject of much online debate, signalling strong passion among devotees of ancient culture. “My prediction is that the movie will not bring a large number of new students to our courses, but it will raise many questions among the curious,” Nelson said. He plans to include Nolan’s movie in upcoming iterations of his course, The Ancient World on Screen. “It will be a useful reference point for in-class discussions of various issues dealing with interpretation and reception of ancient epic poetry,” Nelson said.
Papathanasopoulou with the Society for Classical Studies said her organization is already planning to invite the public to a round table of experts discussing the film when they meet for their upcoming annual conference in Boston in January.
Papathanasopoulou said many of her past students have credited popular works inspired by the classics, including the Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief books and movies as well as the Hades video game franchise, for opening their minds to a field that may at first seem elitist. She sees “The Odyssey” movie as a similar opportunity. “I think a lot of us have realized that if we want to keep our field alive, we have to really engage right with contemporary voices, to really engage with artists,” Papathanasopoulou said.
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