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TV + Movies

Ben Shapiro Is Breaking with the Conservative Boycott of “The Odyssey” and Defending Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy

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“If you let Elliot Page kill that for you, I think you’re missing out on an incredible moviegoing experience.” — Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro just broke with his own side on “The Odyssey,” giving Christopher Nolan’s film an 8.5 to 9 out of 10 in an 18-minute YouTube review and calling it “a masterpiece” after an IMAX screening. He called Nolan “unparalleled” and “the best director working today, without a doubt,” then worked through the casting complaints conservatives have been pushing for weeks.

Lupita Nyong'o at the New York premiere of The Odyssey presented by Universal Pictures
At Universal Pictures’ New York City premiere of “The Odyssey” on July 14, 2026, Lupita Nyong’o makes an appearance on the red carpet. Photo by Roy Rochlin / Getty Images.

On Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, whose casting Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh called political correctness back in May (a take Elon Musk reposted with “True”): “I know a lot of people were like, ‘Oh my God, Lupita Nyong’o is supposed to look like Diane Kruger.’ I don’t know. Diane Kruger doesn’t look very Greek. She’s German.” He called Nyong’o “a beautiful woman” and added, “But here’s the thing: actually, in the script, Nolan goes out of his way to explain that the war wasn’t really launched over Helen being gorgeous.”

On Zendaya as Athena: “Casting Zendaya in that role doesn’t change anything… Zendaya does a fine job, doesn’t bother me at all.”

Zendaya in a white feathered gown, Christopher Nolan in a black suit, and Emma Thomas in a dark beaded dress pose together at an outdoor premiere event.
Zendaya, wearing a dramatic white feathered gown, joins director Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas on the red carpet outside AMC Lincoln Square for the New York premiere of ‘The Odyssey’ on July 14, 2026. Photo by Roy Rochlin / Getty Images.

Elliot Page as Sinon is where he stopped defending the film. “It’s stupid to cast Elliot Page as a dude. It’s just stupid,” Shapiro said, then kept going, misgendering Page (who came out as trans in 2020), attacking his height, weight and voice, and calling the casting “an unforced error.” He floated theories about why Nolan cast him, from a personal friendship dating to “Inception” to “some sort of Oscar bait attempt.”

Matt Damon in a navy suit, Christopher Nolan in a black suit, and Anne Hathaway in a silver and white pleated gown stand in front of 'The Odyssey' premiere backdrop.
Matt Damon, Christopher Nolan, and Anne Hathaway — the latter visibly pregnant in a silver and ivory pleated gown — pose together at the New York premiere of ‘The Odyssey’ on July 14, 2026. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images.

His closing pitch to conservatives was to buy a ticket anyway. “The broader theme of the movie is actually very much in line with many things that conservatives think,” he said. “No, the movie’s not going to bomb because of that.”

The box office suggests the boycott talk isn’t landing. Deadline reported Sunday that “The Odyssey” was on track to sell $257.8 million worth of tickets worldwide by the end of its opening weekend, the biggest global haul for an action movie this year.

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