Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” debuted with $264.1 million at the global box office over the weekend, collecting $124.5 million in the United States and Canada and another $139.6 million internationally.
The film, based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, outperformed the opening of Nolan’s 2023 Oscar-winning drama “Oppenheimer” and marked the director’s biggest launch since “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012.
Produced by Universal, "The Odyssey" was made on a reported budget of $250 million, with the studio spending an estimated $125 million on marketing. The R-rated production is among the most expensive films of its kind and represents one of Hollywood’s largest bets on an original literary adaptation in recent years.
The release generated strong demand for IMAX screenings, with Universal billing the film as Nolan’s first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras. The format accounted for $29.6 million in domestic sales and $51.8 million worldwide, giving IMAX its biggest weekend on record.
Only 41 theaters worldwide are equipped to screen the film in IMAX 70 mm, but those venues alone generated $6.3 million in ticket sales. Some cinemas added midnight and early-morning showings to meet demand after tickets for the format went on sale nearly a year in advance.
“The IMAX of it all helped turn it from not only a blockbuster but a global cultural event,” IMAX chief executive Rich Gelfond said.
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The strong opening continues Nolan’s role in the post-pandemic recovery of movie theaters. His previous film, “Oppenheimer,” grossed $975 million worldwide and, alongside Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” helped drive audiences back to cinemas in 2023.
“The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron. The film earned an " A " CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Running for 2 hours and 52 minutes, the film was shot in Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland, and Morocco. It was produced by Universal Studios and Emma Thomas, Nolan’s longtime producing partner and wife, while Moroccan production company Zak Productions handled the local executive production. Filming also used more than 600,000 meters of film stock.
