# Ben Shapiro Calls 'The Odyssey' a 'Masterpiece' Despite Outrage

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-20 00:07 UTC · Category: Entertainment

## Executive Summary
Public figures including Ben Shapiro and Lara Trump are publicly defending Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' amidst significant political backlash.

## Intelligence Brief
Christopher Nolan’s film 'The Odyssey' has become a focal point of debate, with right-wing commentators such as Ben Shapiro and Lara Trump publicly labeling the work a masterpiece. This support contrasts with vocal criticism originating from segments of the MAGA movement, including comments from Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. Coverage suggests the internal division stems from casting choices and specific plot elements.


Reporting from The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, and Variety highlights a sharp divide among conservative figures and critics. Outlets such as The Daily Beast and National Review report on the intensity of the reaction, while Consequence of Sound and inkl emphasize that the film has secured £155m at the box office. BroBible notes that some cast members mentioned in the controversy appeared for less than 10 minutes of total screentime.


Future reports will track whether the film's financial performance continues to influence the ongoing discourse. Coverage does not yet specify if the criticism will subside or if further cast members will address the public backlash.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| AOL.com | Right-Wing Commentator Ben Shapiro Says "The Odyssey" Is A "Masterpiece" | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxQYjNiTU1BYmtJdER1Sm9Pa0thazBrRGNVQVpLUktVYnBWSUNaeXVrX2lLWWR4LVNKVURJemZUZHA5eVBPaGtoRnVJREpWZ3dxa1pPSHo3Sk5TdXFtV2E4SlJHUHdkUkRDTnlOWjRPeDNwbVR2bW5KQ2xGekswSk43TzFzOA?oc=5) |
| The Mirror US | Fox News host Lara Trump confesses 'love' for The Odyssey despite MAGA backlash | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxOWktpdzZNb2pXMWU5RnBIS3FNMUVzMFIwcHYyOGdCR0FJamVON2RPTjFVeEhGRVd4dXlKOVVyaFBRQ1hVLVZCMFQ2bDBKdFVQWldjOFVpVDJFZEhhWjNJcmZ6WUF0REFXdXEtRnpJM19McnJhWjQxVWJSZW9jZU03NmViZzHSAYoBQVVfeXFMUFJpSzhxa2ZBZ2hTQXZqNnpYdUNjMjgxTFluVjZZWEhlWFd1cUxDcTJrd2QzdFlleHF1aEVwQjNJZ1BJaGlRbVdKTkZNNk10MlFwd3ZzUnl2WXN4VkdGRlRuY2xwYXJFNDlXUlAyMC12am0zbGdvUGZRdHFJanBxZnE2OVlMbFFOVHhR?oc=5) |
| The Independent | MAGA turns on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey over one surprising plot twist | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxOQmxPNlItZDdtYkxwOFo3OWhadGZHSTk2N3hOOEZRNmNsbTgydzN0aGtTaFAzd0U5OFJScGNPaDJCOXV6YmRMd3FZdjB6UUx0VTlJVkZ0Ml9uaVZPUzVaa0VPRTA1SEFRNnlYU3BTalZ4LTZkWmZjejY3dmxfcHVpdlduREpQeFBzVDFaVzhJQ0FwdWhIZXRoRlllYWFLVnBaVURQNnZQTkhBX1B1b0tSOTBZNC1GRGVQbk13?oc=5) |
| The Hollywood Reporter | Ben Shapiro Praises ‘The Odyssey’ as a “Masterpiece” Despite Elliot Page Casting Criticism | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQcS1yYVR5ZV9PWExXSDV6a0FMTHcyV3liMjRoYndfaS1iMFNLc1ZRQmRUbWNKbW9aQWNxcWZjS055Z20zMjRyT1FpQTh5aThGZWY1Ym1mbjgxQjZ0ck4zVmFMUzk1c3hxX0JEdkZZZWNnUzFFelRKaWNJZW5uT0hOd0Z6Nl9BY0RaZnU2ei1sMGdIQUVHcTlDOVk3aGV6dVIybmR5bzJMX0dSaWFrank0NGVxTEc?oc=5) |
| National Review | The Anti-‘Odyssey’ Crusade Has Lost the Plot | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxQWUhDMGl2RE9EUFp4WV9rUW5UYXJZWjgwX2ZmY1lMczlJMGV2ZmhqU0RaeHdIc0ZialA4NjE0U3NoRWV0OV8zV01qa29VT1IxMk1kRDVSMWt0YURmd1lfM19uNkpZM1NIdzdWRVJTRkt0TERRSmZIWkpjaXBZUWNpbHdwb0VOVTh0eUE?oc=5) |
| Dr Stacey Patton | Substack | The Odyssey Is Out—and Elon and the MAGAts Are in Their Feelings | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxNMVVZWXZqbFV6alFHYXlETXdyeGVON01ndlJ5UnVpZUlDZ2pZRTVrNk0yV05SWmtLOWNXdWx0TUhZYkVOSDVDbkstdFl0ZWI2UXRhOXNxbDBacEkxSkx2RWhHVzhSR3FsQUtPMWlQMjVndjFaMFQ2eTNEclJOZzhCLVJ3?oc=5) |
| The Independent | Ben Shapiro shuts down fellow right-wingers ripping ‘The Odyssey’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNOEhsWjc2N3M3QWtzSjF6S3VLZkZPczM4Wll4TmFLa1RoYWlkMnRkOUN0T3I4T2JuMXpQMVRBdnBwT294bkZMdFE4YmtuTUhKSkZfVzV0ZmZ0LWRsb3V4bkc4S0hYX3pmeU5VSzBaWmhxRlJ1NldVdG01WVFEVlIxaWU1YU82ZWJfZGwyR1lhWkxiYUJNVkd2SURmbk42UEYzMTBkQ1hxSXlnVXNoRTM3SXF4amJkdmtId0E?oc=5) |
| Consequence of Sound | The Odyssey’s Box Office Performance Proves Elon Musk Wrong Once Again | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxOanJHMWtnOHBocTk5MERxdWwtSVpXZEZHOVR4TnR3R1FLM1psTkJLTGdJcENNUWV0eklaVE1jVE13SGVqQkpUWFo0TkhMTl9WTjROeDN5NEk3NDhDbmU5QUJGYUV1NDhOX2h6OUozdWp0T0owNi1aeDhLOW5qeXp6d2pR?oc=5) |
| The Daily Beast | MAGA Finds a New Reason to Melt Down About ‘The Odyssey’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOUzBZTDZXZ2NQbUlqTFphRlVBMEl3cWh0NmZKTmxGVnowYXo0Yzl3YXJLMThHakNITUJpUEpBUHdtZDBsR2gwNDR3SVUtaGlETWs2R0M2dEVjYlBxeS14dzVfVmNTMTBRUmZSYVhwcDVabE02d19CeVRUVzFKTmxaX05hYVBDa3NBWmFtYWVEamd3NjlHVmtuX3hB?oc=5) |
| Irish Star | Fox News' Lara Trump praises Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey amid MAGA backlash | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxOQ0tlZnY1aFlPeVVvZ3h0MVc4UGxKOHh0TU8wWHZVbllYSDZWTTFVM3YxMkJhcUVNRE80UFUyV1RzS01ST2tHNzlHQ3FaTE4xTDZKdnJTbFhfZUxua3ZOc3h5dmlFNDVBcTNycElYblpwa2hBdkV3Y0VKNk45ejhRcHYzcGJYSUZDMGxaadIBkgFBVV95cUxNUmRYd3pGdDFSVkVscFJERHFrX3NBZGJya0FXLXNqTmFISklzVFBMb3BOeTdSeGxlSzJyS0ZfS2ZRNk9BR1lHWWx6dXZkRzNYR1htM3ZRLVZGeFdKZ0lmRGI2MWNnd1QyYi1odHJ5YXZCdkJINEhJSi1sXzRTTEVuNk5NX2lrR2tIZUZlLWdwUUJyZw?oc=5) |
| inkl | Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr. Branded 'Foolish Provocateurs' After Christopher Nolan Epic Secures £155m | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQSE9rNXpQQ0RNU25XRXVlMGR1R203MEZGMkVHQXNMQmhxUWRSN2V5RU1OaEZUY3VqQUZiTm5tZjB0RnRCZEdwWmlISjByR215WnV5d09JclRYdGV1dWVtNS1ReGF0QjhWOGhfTFNTY0JXLUxXYUlNNGJSenBfWjVSMHllLU1TSms5RjVXUTA5TjJMQUZfdmVZZ1NkcllROC1PcEJOekZwNzZpSHM3TjJBbXlMdTNxa2VzeWszbjRzbm5zdw?oc=5) |
| BroBible | 'The Odyssey' Cast Members That Elon Musk Was All Worked Up About Had Less Than 10 Minutes Of Combined Total Screentime | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxOcGRxd0NMNTQ3azFBWmNMR3hPUUtScGVVNFhJQzNwbk1iUmRIWnY5MDJFWndQV0pzYV9jQ0VQaFV3aXZacGJhLXBvWVJYUmVjN1JsaWJlN0dnQXZHc3JRdlF6SkxNUnZ2bXo5RVpPdWRwR1NpcEFpbXJxRHZ3dTFaSTBQREsyWVgtOVVPOElONmpEb0wz?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | MAGA Finds a New Reason to Melt Down About ‘The Odyssey’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxQVjRuSmRiaGVjcHhIYlhPazhDOXRZdms4d3hIa2tkUDUtT3lyVW1tdWFCNjF6V2xoV2NObWtzMXpJRXR6ZFgweGc1V1pRaVlJZDNndTU2bFhVZ1hLRFl3NTVfNF9FMUdTRmphMW0yeURPV3NobkZjRVNXcUJGQk95VFdR?oc=5) |
| Variety | Ben Shapiro Calls 'The Odyssey' a 'Masterpiece' Despite Outrage | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPNEFiV0hfTUUxdWhRQmliNElUT1NuTmRxZUhnRFZON3paQUk4UjhpVUpzV29LQ2lDNVBuRDAwWk5sVF85RFhPZjBKMVQ4T0xIRTVzTUdkRFdudEU0MXZKSGFDUFlzZ1M1WXBuYU9qSjdpRnVCQ19xekZtMFZvOHdKdE5lZGlPc0ltZUpCVF9hRjcxY3o0QTRDeHZaNTZ6RkVqa1E?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-07-20/ben-shapiro-calls-the-odyssey-a-masterpiece-despite-outrage*