Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, which dates back to roughly the 8th or 7th century BC. As a result, some moviegoers were surprised when the film’s various trailers let it slip that Nolan’s characters speak dialogue in contemporary English with mostly American accents. The creative decision sparked intense discourse on social media, one that Nolan probably wasn’t too surprised by.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times before the release of “The Odyssey” this month, Nolan said that as the film’s screenwriter he wanted to prioritize “language that has emotional, not intellectual, meaning to people.” This is why the characters in Nolan’s “The Odyssey” speak in contemporary English dialogue and not in Homeric words.

“Maybe I was being naïve, it could bite me in the butt, but I wanted an earthy narrative. To me it was a no-brainer,” Nolan said of his decision.

Nolan also felt it was a no-brainer to cast big stars in the film, from Matt Damon and Anne Hatahaway to Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal and more. The director noted that his characters “are mythological figures, iconic in a way,” so “I wanted to make a large cast, get the best group of actors” because their familiar faces would help contemporary audiences feel at home.

“The Odyssey” had to go through other social media storms before its release. Criticism was raised over the film’s armor design, which many on social media felt resembled Batman’s more modern-looking Batsuit.

“There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze,” Nolan said in defense of his design while speaking to Time magazine earlier this year. “The theory is that they probably could have blackened the bronze in those days. You take bronze, add more gold and silver, and then use sulfur… With Agamemnon, Helen [Mirojnick]our costume designer, tries to communicate how elevated he is in relation to others. “This is done through materials that would be very expensive.”

Nolan also defended the casting of rapper Travis Scott as the bard, whose appearance in an early trailer took some by surprise. He said: “I chose it because I wanted to point out the idea that this story has been passed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”

“The Odyssey” opens in theaters on July 17 from Universal Pictures.