Courtesy: Elon Musk (X)
Colman Domingo used his guest-hosting stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night to take direct aim at Elon Musk’s plan for an AI-generated version of The Odyssey. The Oscar nominee built much of his opening monologue around Musk’s recent announcement. He delivered one of the segment’s sharpest lines of the night.
Musk has pledged that his AI tool Grok will produce a full-length adaptation of Homer’s epic before the end of 2026. He describes the project as historically accurate and true to the source material. He also shared a three-minute AI-generated clip based on the poem. A Grok user created that clip. Domingo questioned Musk’s claim directly. He joked that Musk’s version of historically accurate really meant something closer to an all-white cast, similar to a Cracker Barrel dining room during the holidays.
Why Domingo’s jokes land where they do
Domingo connected Musk’s project to the backlash surrounding Christopher Nolan’s own adaptation of The Odyssey. That film cast Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. He argued that Musk and his supporters were reacting to that diverse casting rather than any real concern for historical accuracy. He also pointed out a basic problem in the phrase itself. No mythological story can earn the label historically accurate in the first place.
Domingo went further with his jokes. Comparing The Odyssey to other clearly fictional works helped him prove his point. A lighter jab closed out his segment. He questioned why Musk was focused on this project instead of some of his other long-promised projects.
Domingo joins a growing list of critics
Domingo is not alone in pushing back on Musk’s plan. Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson addressed Musk directly on social media earlier in the week. He argued that Musk lacks real knowledge of cinema and has not engaged seriously with film in decades.
Musk’s criticism of Nolan’s Odyssey started well before the film’s release. In March, he called Nolan an anti-white racist over the casting decision. He said Nolan had lost his integrity and described the choice as an insult to Homer. Musk announced his own AI adaptation shortly after Nolan’s version became a box office success. That timing adds another layer to the ongoing back-and-forth between the two camps.
What comes next for Musk’s AI Odyssey
Musk says the AI-generated film will use his Grok Imagine tool. He expects it to arrive sometime before the end of 2026. However, Musk has not set a specific release date yet. Nobody knows yet whether the finished project will match the goals behind his announcement. The reaction from figures like Domingo and Derrickson suggests the concept has already drawn real skepticism across the film industry.
SOURCE: COMINGSOON.Net
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