{"id":25736,"date":"2026-08-03T02:12:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T21:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25736"},"modified":"2026-08-03T02:12:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T21:12:34","slug":"brad-pitts-troy-is-having-a-moment-22-years-later-thanks-to-the-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25736","title":{"rendered":"Brad Pitt\u2019s &#8216;Troy&#8217; is having a moment 22 years later, thanks to &#8216;The Odyssey&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/entertainment\/the-odyssey-review-christopher-nolan\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\"><em>The Odyssey<\/em><\/a> follows Odysseus on his long journey home from the Trojan War. Its viewers, however, are heading in the opposite direction&#8230;back to <em>Troy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Christopher Nolan\u2019s epic has quickly become one of the year\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/entertainment\/the-odyssey-imax-70mm-exclusivity\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">biggest movies<\/a>. The film opened with <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/box-office\/the-odyssey-box-office-christopher-nolan-opening-weekend-shatters-expectations-1236815861\/\" target=\"_new\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">$264.1 million worldwide<\/a>, the largest global debut of Nolan\u2019s career, and earned another <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/box-office\/the-odyssey-box-office-massive-second-weekend-1236821417\/\" target=\"_new\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">$90 million domestically during its second weekend<\/a>. By its 12th day in theaters, it had generated <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/box-office\/the-odyssey-700-million-globally-fourth-biggest-movie-1236823343\/\" target=\"_new\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">$727.9 million worldwide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>All that attention has also sent viewers toward a much older, looser interpretation of Homer\u2019s<em> Iliad<\/em>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/creepydotorg\/status\/2078093999626178924\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Mrunal_Patel\/status\/2078808394547576914\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Clips from Wolfgang Petersen\u2019s 2004 film have been circulating across social media. Viewers are comparing the movies\u2019 battle scenes, costumes, performances, and versions of the fall of Troy. Some have gone further, arguing that the critically dismissed Brad Pitt blockbuster may actually be the better movie.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MohanReddy92380\/status\/2083758252412817736\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The renewed attention is showing up beyond social media. As of July 23, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/articles\/troy-walked-odyssey-could-run-190000000.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\"><em>Troy<\/em> ranked 12th on IMDb\u2019s list of most popular movies <\/a>and 23rd on Letterboxd, while <em>The Odyssey<\/em> held the top position on both. By the end of the month, <em>Troy<\/em> had also climbed to No. 2 on AMC+ in the United States.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Eighteeen95\/status\/2081694305345822789\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Suddenly, a movie once remembered primarily for Pitt\u2019s armor and extremely committed workout routine is receiving a full cultural re-evaluation.<\/p>\n<h2>Why <em>Troy<\/em> looks different in 2026<\/h2>\n<p>When <em>Troy<\/em> opened in 2004, Hollywood was still crowded with historical and fantasy epics. <em>Gladiator<\/em> had arrived 4 years earlier, and Peter Jackson\u2019s <em>Lord of the Rings<\/em> trilogy had just demonstrated how emotionally and commercially successful a massive fantasy production could become.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jpark_fityv78\/status\/2083416595221934217\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That competition made <em>Troy<\/em> feel less remarkable at the time. Petersen removed nearly all the gods and supernatural forces from Homer\u2019s story and condensed years of mythology into one muscular, star-filled blockbuster.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MMAbandwagon\/status\/2083890612944965913\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Critics were divided by the results. <em>Troy<\/em> currently holds a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/troy\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">53 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, where the consensus describes it as an entertaining spectacle without enough emotional resonance. Audiences were warmer, giving it a 74 percent score.<\/p>\n<section x-data=\"window.newsletter({ isDeal: false })\" x-init=\"init()\" aria-label=\"Newsletter Sign-Up\" class=\"relative invisible my-12 mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl md:my-16 ziff-component accent-cut-for-gradient-bg accent-cut-border-for-gradient-bg bg-gradient-fuchsia-secondary p-[2px]\">\n<p>\n            <span class=\"text-gradient-fuchsia-secondary\">Mashable Trend Report<\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>22 years later, some of what once made <em>Troy<\/em> seem conventional has become the reason <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/moviecritic\/comments\/1v3f41u\/whats_something_the_odyssey_did_better_and\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">viewers are praising it.<\/a> Compared with <em>The Odyssey<\/em>, fans say <em>Troy<\/em> better captures the sheer scale of the war. They have also singled out its radiant colors, weathered costumes, and supporting performances from Eric Bana and Peter O\u2019Toole. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/milansedai\/status\/2083909310053024155\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Most of all, viewers keep returning to its action: the battles clearly show the tactics of two armies, while the duel between Achilles and Hector lets audiences follow every blow. Those qualities stand out even more when placed beside <em>The Odyssey, <\/em>according to fans. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/David_Da_Boss\/status\/2083388222566998376\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Of course, the two movies are trying to accomplish very different things. <em>Troy<\/em> is a war movie built around Achilles, Hector, and the destruction of a city. <em>The Odyssey<\/em> follows the exhausted soldier who has to live with what happened afterward. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/naiivememe\/status\/2055824054641385925\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Still, watching them so close together has made viewers appreciate a movie has been overlooked for years. <\/p>\n<h2><em>Troy<\/em> was always more popular than its reviews suggested<\/h2>\n<p>Despite its mixed reviews, <em>Troy<\/em> earned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boxofficemojo.com\/title\/tt0332452\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">more than $497 million worldwide<\/a> during its original theatrical run. Nearly three-quarters of that total came from international audiences.<\/p>\n<p>The irony is that viewers now seem more eager to defend <em>Troy<\/em> than some of the people who made it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitterEmbed twitter-tweet\"><p>\n    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PoliticsOutHere\/status\/2081900767859110374\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab) (opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Pitt said he appeared in the movie because he had withdrawn from another Warner Bros. project and remained obligated to make something for the studio.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I was put in <em>Troy<\/em>,&#8221; Pitt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2019\/12\/09\/magazine\/brad-pitt-interview.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">told <em>The New York Times<\/em> in 2019<\/a>. He said the experience convinced him to begin following his instincts when selecting future roles.<\/p>\n<p>Bloom was even less nostalgic about playing Paris. &#8220;I think I just blanked that movie out of my brain,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2024\/film\/news\/orlando-bloom-disliked-troy-character-1235997119\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">told <em>Variety<\/em> in 2024<\/a>, explaining that he never wanted to play the Trojan prince.<\/p>\n<h2>Christopher Nolan nearly made <em>Troy<\/em> himself<\/h2>\n<p>The most unexpected connection between the movies belongs to Nolan, actually. More than two decades before directing <em>The Odyssey<\/em>, he was originally hired by Warner Bros. to make <em>Troy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Petersen had begun developing the movie before leaving to work on a planned <em>Batman vs. Superman<\/em> project. When Warner Bros. abandoned that film, Petersen asked for <em>Troy<\/em> back. Nolan agreed, although he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.empireonline.com\/movies\/news\/issue-preview-odyssey-2026-preview-james-cameron\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">later told <em>Empire<\/em><\/a> that Homer\u2019s world remained in the back of his mind. He was especially interested in how he would depict the Trojan horse.<\/p>\n<p>Losing <em>Troy<\/em> worked out reasonably well for him. Nolan instead directed <em>Batman Begins<\/em>, which screenwriter<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yNosdJTXTNg\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\"> David S. Goyer later jokingly described<\/a> as Warner Bros.\u2019 &#8220;consolation prize.&#8221; The movie launched Nolan\u2019s <em>Dark Knight<\/em> trilogy and helped establish the blockbuster career that eventually allowed him to return to Homer on an even larger scale.<\/p>\n<p>That history makes the current comparison feel almost too good to be true. Nolan finally got to create his version of Homer\u2019s world. And though Odysseus needed 10 years to find his way home, <em>Troy<\/em> needed 22 to get its retrial.<\/p>\n<section class=\"mx-auto max-w-7xl\">\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home from the Trojan War. Its viewers, however, are heading in the opposite direction&#8230;back to Troy. Christopher Nolan\u2019s epic has quickly become one of the year\u2019s biggest movies. The film opened with $264.1 million worldwide, the largest global debut of Nolan\u2019s career, and earned another $90 million&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/061RtgwvlTDyeD4e383gZtK\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1785696421.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}