Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
X Removes Pirated 'The Odyssey' After 3 Million Views as Film Reaches $640 Million
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27

X Removes Pirated 'The Odyssey' After 3 Million Views as Film Reaches $640 Million

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27

Summary

  • More than 3 million views had already piled up on a post flagging the leaked full film before X suspended the hosting account and removed the pirated copy.
  • Universal said it moved immediately to trigger takedown protocols and would pursue remedies over the unauthorized upload, though it remains unclear how the near-three-hour bootleg was obtained.
  • $640 million in global box office receipts suggests the leak has not hurt demand; the film added $87 million in the U.S. on its second weekend, down 30% from opening.
  • Elon Musk, who owns X, had recently attacked the film's casting choices and said he would use Grok Imagine to create a "historically accurate" version of Homer's epic.

Insights

How did a full-quality Odyssey bootleg reach 2.1 million views on X before takedown—and what does that expose about modern film piracy?
If piracy couldn’t slow The Odyssey’s $87 million weekend, are premium theatrical events becoming stronger than the leak economy?
Why did The Odyssey leak become a flashpoint over AI, casting, and “historical accuracy” instead of just another copyright dispute?