Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 21
Right-Wingers Target Nolan's $264 Million Odyssey as 95% Rotten Tomatoes Score Fuels Fraud Claims
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 21

Right-Wingers Target Nolan's $264 Million Odyssey as 95% Rotten Tomatoes Score Fuels Fraud Claims

1 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 21

Summary

  • $264 million in global opening-weekend sales put Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey atop the box office, even as right-wing X users pushed claims that ticket sales and review scores were being faked.
  • 95% critic and 97% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes became a second flashpoint, with online critics alleging suppressed negative reviews or bot-driven praise without offering evidence.
  • 70mm IMAX demand has been strong enough to reportedly keep projectors running around the clock in some cities, undercutting claims that sold-out screenings were manufactured despite some empty seats.
  • Elon Musk amplified one of the score-manipulation claims by pointing users to Popcorn Gap, a site that strips out Fandango one-tap reviews that critics of the film dismiss as insufficiently detailed.
  • Only 21% of U.S. adults use X, according to Pew, suggesting the online backlash may have limited reach beyond a broader audience driving the film's commercial momentum.

Insights

When box office data and online outrage conflict, who decides if a film is a success?
How did a modern Homer translation inspire Nolan’s film and its divisive casting choices?