This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Per Christopher Nolan Art & Updates, “The Odyssey” is rumored to be aiming for an R rating, thanks in part to at least one intimate sequence and the presence of an intimacy coordinator on set.
Additionally, back in March, production photos revealed that Benny Safdie and Lupita Nyong’o had been filming a particularly brutal scene at the Castle of Methoni in Greece, further hinting that Nolan’s take on the myth will lean into graphic violence.
I’m not surprised Nolan wants to embrace the brutality and sensuality of Homer’s text, without compromise. The source material includes gory battles, nudity, mutilations, and revenge killings. Throughout the story, Odysseus has sex with three different women, including Calypso the Goddess.
Considering the mature subject matter of “The Odyssey” and Nolan’s recent triumph with the R-rated “Oppenheimer,” the rumor seems entirely plausible. Still, nothing is confirmed until the MPA hands down an official rating, which usually arrives alongside a trailer or near theatrical release. It’s also worth noting that “Oppenheimer” remains Nolan’s only R-rated film in the past two decades.