All posts tagged: Troy

“This is a mythological story”: Nyong’o responds to criticism of Helen of Troy casting

“This is a mythological story”: Nyong’o responds to criticism of Helen of Troy casting

Lupita Nyong’o is refusing to defend herself from internet blowhards. Online bigots have been stewing over Nyong’o’s role in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming adaptation of “The Odyssey” for weeks. The Oscar-winning actress playing Helen of Troy told Elle she’s  heard some of the criticism, but doesn’t think it’s worth much thought. “I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling. Our cast is representative of the world,” she said. “I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.” Nolan hand-picked Nyong’o for the role, telling the outlet that he was “absolutely desperate” for her to take on the part. He said that the actress’ “strength and poise” were critical to bringing the myth to life on the big screen. “Lupita makes it look effortless. I’m sure there’s a tremendous amount of discipline and training that goes into projecting that kind of poise and feeling the emotion bubbling beneath the character, the layers of the character …

Lupita Nyong’o Responds to Racism About Her Role as Helen of Troy

Lupita Nyong’o Responds to Racism About Her Role as Helen of Troy

In today’s roundup of literary headlines, we have an update from Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about selling AI-generated books, a response from Lupita Nyong’o to racist criticism of her role as Helen of Troy, the end of the “Colbert Bump,” and more. Barnes & Noble CEO Assures Customers That They Do Not Sell AI-Generated Books Before we get into today’s round-up of literary news, an update. Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt received criticism earlier this week for saying that he has “no problem” selling AI-generated books. Now, he’s put out a statement clarifying the bookseller’s stance on selling AI-written books, saying that they do not “endorse or intentionally sell AI-generated books. We take active measures to exclude all AI-generated books from our online offerings and never knowingly order any for in-store stock.” He does add that they would sell AI-generated books if there is “clear demand,” they were labeled as AI-generated, and they were put out by “reputable publishers.” He also compared not stocking AI-generated books with book banning, which made me …

The new Helen of Troy is Black — and that’s upsetting racists

The new Helen of Troy is Black — and that’s upsetting racists

The backlash surrounding Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy — and her sister Clytemnestra — in the upcoming epic “The Odyssey” has quickly evolved into another online culture-war battle over race, beauty and representation in Hollywood. The controversy intensified after Elon Musk amplified social media criticism in quite a few posts and reposts on X, questioning both the casting and whether Nyong’o could plausibly portray Helen, the mythological figure long associated with extraordinary beauty. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh argued on X that “not one person on the planet” views Nyong’o as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” a post Musk replied to with a one-word endorsement: “True.” Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is “the most beautiful woman in the world.” But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave “the most beautiful woman” role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward. Too… pic.twitter.com/wwzF9RkrWI — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 12, 2026 The comments drew immediate backlash online, with critics accusing …