Grok posts a seven-minute first episode of its AI-generated 'Odyssey,' months after Musk promised a full-length film

What happened

Grok has published the opening seven minutes of its AI-generated take on "The Odyssey," TechCrunch reported Sunday. The company is labeling the clip "Episode 1 of our Odyssey series."

The release falls short of what Elon Musk described three months earlier. According to TechCrunch, Musk had said Grok would put out a full-length, "historically accurate" movie version of the ancient epic. For more coverage of artificial intelligence, see our AI and tech section.

The promise and the product

From full-length film to 'Episode 1'

TechCrunch weekend editor Anthony Ha wrote that the project is now framed as a series rather than one feature film. The seven-minute clip was made with Grok Imagine, the company's video generation tool. In its post sharing the episode, the company invited viewers to say in the comments whether they would like a full breakdown of how the clip was made.

Who made it

The clip was produced in collaboration with Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker, TechCrunch reported. The footage opens with a long backstory delivered by a narrator who speaks in a British accent. It then cuts between several bearded characters delivering lines of dialogue.

The contrast with Christopher Nolan

Musk's earlier criticism

According to TechCrunch, Musk had previously attacked Christopher Nolan's film version of "The Odyssey" because Nolan cast nonwhite and transgender actors. TechCrunch described Nolan as a natural counterpoint to Musk on technology. Nolan has called himself "a techno-skeptic." He has also said that before AI, he had never seen a technology "so completely rejected by the public."

A box office hit built on practical filmmaking

Nolan's film used visual effects but relied mainly on practical filmmaking, TechCrunch reported. The shoot spanned six countries and involved a cast and crew of thousands. After the film opened in July, it became a major box office success. It sold out Imax screenings for months and is seen as the likely front-runner at the next Academy Awards, according to TechCrunch.

How TechCrunch's reviewer saw the clip

Moments that looked real

Ha wrote that the clip was less unattractive than he had expected. He also called it more impressive than other videos Musk has posted recently. He said some moments could pass for real actors sailing on a real sea. He added that he could not judge the clip's historical accuracy.

What the reviewer said was missing

Ha's main criticism was about storytelling, not image quality. "What the footage really lacks is any sense of artistry, inspiration, or human interest," he wrote for TechCrunch. He said the clip offered no momentum and gave viewers little reason to care about the characters.

Ha compared the experience with watching Nolan's film, which runs nearly three hours. He said he had no trouble staying focused through Nolan's version. With the Grok clip, he said he was checking the time remaining before reaching the halfway point.

What to watch next

• Whether Grok releases more episodes, now that it has labeled the clip as the first in an Odyssey series.
• Whether the company publishes the breakdown of how the clip was made, which it offered in its release post.
• Whether Musk's original promise of a full-length, "historically accurate" movie is fulfilled.
• How Nolan's "The Odyssey" fares at the next Academy Awards, where TechCrunch called it the likely front-runner.