It looks as though Nolan's Odyssey will flop because it isn't some niche production for high-brow liberals like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” which succeeded largely because of rather than in spite of the racial expropriation of traditional heroes.

Casting a dark black Kenyan as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as an Achaean warrior isn't going to create mass appeal, as much as it might excite postmodern academics. Just the black Helen alone is probably enough to turn off a large fraction of potential viewers, but the trans angle is really too much of a stretch.

I've got to wonder what he was thinking. Some think he's trying to get an award, but he's an artist, so you'd think that isn't his highest priority.

However, I'll bet an academy award is a very high priority for his producer, who happens to be his wife Emma Thomas.

Apparently Mrs. (Ms.?) Thomas handles pretty much all of Nolan's publicity, social life and much else. She's a “dame” - feminine titular equivalent of “sir” in the UK - and lives with her husband in LA.

I don't know for certain who pushed these casting decisions, but I strongly suspect it was Dame Emma Thomas, Lady Nolan.