Grok releases seven-minute first episode of Musk's AI-generated Odyssey on X

Episode released on X

Grok Imagine posted the first episode of its AI-generated adaptation of Homer's Odyssey on X on Friday, 23 October. The clip runs about seven minutes and was made in collaboration with Wonder Studios, with director Dev Walker credited on the project. Musk first announced the project in July, days after Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opened in cinemas on 17 July. Alongside the new footage, Musk's post on X carried a three-minute AI-generated clip made by another user, showing a scene between Odysseus and the nymph Calypso. The company labels the release Episode 1 of a series, not the full-length film Musk had promised.

Musk's promise and the Nolan dispute

Musk had promised a full feature before the end of the year. In his post on X he wrote:

“Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer.”

The pledge came amid a public feud with Nolan's adaptation, which Musk criticised over its casting. Nolan's film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus, with Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Samantha Morton and Charlize Theron in supporting roles. Musk objected to Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy and to Elliot Page playing Sinon, and he accused Nolan of "desecrating Homer" to meet what he called "woke rules required to win an Oscar". Nolan has described himself as a techno-skeptic, which sets him apart from Musk, who posts a steady stream of AI-generated content. The Nolan film was shot across six countries with a cast and crew of thousands and has been in cinemas since July.

What the seven minutes contain

The clip opens with Odysseus preparing to sail for Troy. Penelope gives him a small wooden horse, a figurine meant for their young son at home. Scenes then alternate among Greek soldiers readying for combat, battles at Troy, and Telemachus growing up and drilling for fights. Odysseus is the only character the clip names, so anyone new to the myth has to guess the identity of everyone else. The characters speak English rather than ancient Greek, and a narrator with a British accent delivers the backstory in voiceover. Every character looks white and shows the telltale signs of AI-generated video, including flawless teeth and airbrushed skin.

Reception

Critics were largely unimpressed. One reviewer said the footage lacked any sense of artistry, inspiration or human interest, with a backstory in voiceover that seemed to go on forever. Another found the episode less ugly than expected and said some shots could pass for real actors on a real sea, yet the whole felt airless. Other viewers were harsher still, with some describing it as pure garbage. The same reviewer who criticised the episode said they had sat through Nolan's nearly three-hour film with ease, but kept checking how much of the Grok episode was left. No date for further episodes appears in the reporting.