Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey is currently receiving extremely positive feedback. True fans have discovered a very special hint that refers to another excellent adaptation of the story.
What hint could that be? In the story of The Odyssey, the titular hero Odysseus is not at home for about 20 years. His wife Penelope is pressured to marry someone new. She presents the suitors with a challenge:
Whoever can string the old bow of her presumed deceased husband Odysseus and shoot an arrow through 12 axes shall be allowed to marry her. However, the suitors fail one after another. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus himself participates in the competition and accomplishes the task.
Here comes the Easter egg: While Odysseus strings the bow nearly effortlessly, three notes play in the background. These have the same speed and pitch as three notes from the song Just a Man
from Epic: The Musical – a viral fan musical from TikTok.
The three notes that Odysseus sings at 00:57 in the original YouTube video reappear in The Odyssey. Here, a user shared the scene excerpt on Reddit:
Three significant notes in a film without orchestral music and the fans go wild
What is Epic: The Musical? Epic: The Musical is a nine-part musical adaptation of the story of the Odyssey. Like the film, it begins with the end of the Trojan War and the great twist with the wooden horse. When Odysseus is to kill the still very young son of Hector, he sings the song Just a Man
, which becomes the recurring main theme of the musical.
The musical does not adapt the Odyssey in a perfectly detailed manner and takes some liberties at certain points. However, the plot largely follows the events of the original work.
What makes it so special is the story of its creation: Composer and author Jorge Rivera-Herrans released the first demos on TikTok. Later, he challenged other TikTok musicians and singers to sing along with his songs using the duet function and to audition for roles. The final cast also includes many well-known artists from social media around the world, most of whom belong to Gen Z.
After several delays in its release, including due to disputes with a music label, Epic: The Musical has now been fully live since the end of 2024. It can be listened to via YouTube and Spotify, among other platforms. At the moment, Jerry Bruckheimer, the director of Pirates of the Caribbean, is working on an animated film based on the musical. Additionally, a stage adaptation is being developed.
What are TikTok musicals? TikTok musicals are musicals that, as the name suggests, are mainly developed on TikTok and by the community there. Besides Epic: The Musical, the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical has also made it to Spotify. According to The Guardian, the first of these musicals was Ratatouille, which even played once on Broadway.
While The Odyssey is currently in theaters, MeinMMO author Niko Hernes celebrates the release of a long-awaited trailer. Marvel Studios has finally released the first official, non-AI-generated or leaked trailer for Avengers Doomsday: In the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel shows the new big villain, who even makes the mighty god of thunder tremble.
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