It’s a box office debut fit for a king. Christopher Nolan‘s action epic “The Odyssey” ignited to $124.5 million from 3,919 domestic theaters over the weekend, defying expectations and setting up the R-rated spectacle for a long, long journey in theaters.
These ticket sales are notable as Nolan’s biggest debut since 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” ($160 million) as well as the third-largest opening of the year following “Toy Story 5” ($159 million) and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million). They’re also impressive not just because “The Odyssey” is a nearly three-hour sword-and-sandal adventure, a genre that’s rarely made these days, but also because it is rated R, which limits who can buy tickets.
At the international box office, “The Odyssey” collected $139.6 million from 73 markets for a stellar worldwide tally of $264.1 million. This marks Nolan’s biggest global opening ahead of “The Dark Knight Rises” ($249 million, not adjusted for inflation), 2009’s “The Dark Knight” ($198 million, not adjusted for inflation) and “Oppenheimer” ($180 million).
Adapted from Homer’s 3,000-year-old epic poem, “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and chronicles his seemingly eternal, perilous voyage home after the Trojan War. Damon leads the all-star ensemble of Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo. Written and directed by Nolan, “The Odyssey” is one of the best-reviewed films of the year, with an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls and 95% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Males accounted for 56% of ticket buyers, while half of audience members were between the ages of 18 and 34, underscoring that Nolan appeals to all generations of moviegoers.
With stellar word-of-mouth, the frenzy around premium formats and an A-list cast that’s been taking the promotional circuit by storm, “The Odyssey” is primed for an epic box office run. Plus, it won’t have any competition until Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opens on July 31. That’s necessary to justify the film’s massive price tag. Universal spent $250 million to produce — a staggering cost for any tentpole these days, especially one that’s rated R — and another $125 million to market to global audiences.
“Christopher Nolan is the only filmmaker working today who could take an ancient story like this, attract a cast as sprawling and accomplished as this, and make it a pop culture event,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. “Nolan has become a unique and singular talent, with a loyal and enthusiastic following.”
Nolan has long been a commercial draw, having directed outsized box office triumphs like “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “Interstellar.” But the British filmmaker reached a new level of fame after 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” which became a box office juggernaut before securing the Oscar for best picture. Fueled by the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, “Oppenheimer” launched above expectations to $82 million and earned a remarkable $330 million in North America and $975 million globally by the end of its run. While “Oppenheimer” opened in second place behind “Barbie,” another box office behemoth, “The Odyssey” gets the satisfaction of debuting at No. 1 across the globe.
“There’s a palpable excitement in theaters this weekend,” says Universal’s domestic distribution president Jim Orr. “Christopher Nolan is one of the most trusted filmmakers ever, and audiences know he’s going to deliver something that you want to experience on the big screen. We have showtimes in certain formats that are sold out for next weekend, the weekend after, and even mid-week.”
Nolan has become synonymous with premium large formats, and “The Odyssey” is notable as the first feature shot entirely with Imax cameras. It’s a feat that Nolan has called his “longest-held ambition.” Audiences have taken note of the hype around these screens. Premium large formats contributed a massive 53% of the film’s domestic tally, with Imax accounting for $51.8 million or 23% of global ticket sales. Imax, which is dedicating its entire global footprint to “The Odyssey” for three weeks, has been scheduling showtimes around the clock in the coveted 70mm auditoriums, with some determined cinephiles enduring 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. screenings of the nearly three-hour epic.
“’The Odyssey’ is among a rarified group of instant classic blockbusters in Imax history that fully leverage our platform; as bullish as we are on its success, our experience tells us that even we don’t know how this movie will grow our brand and business,” says Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax. “With record pre-sales, critical and audience acclaim, and the way the film presents extraordinarily in Imax, we believe all the elements are in place for ‘The Odyssey’ to enjoy a very long and successful run.”
Thanks to “The Odyssey,” the box office is rebounding after three consecutive duds: the Warner Bros. and DC adaptation “Supergirl,” Universal and Illumination sequel “Minions and Monsters” and Disney’s live action “Moana.” Despite those stumbles, domestic ticket sales are roughly 10% above 2025, according to Rentrak, and the summer season is expected to surpass $4 billion for the second time since the pandemic upended the industry.
“Nolan’s latest epic has arrived at the perfect time, reminding everyone of the undeniable allure of the big-screen moviegoing experience,” says Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends.
“Moana” landed in a very distant second place with $19 million in its sophomore frame — a 56% decline from its disappointing $43 million debut. So far, Disney’s live-action remake has generated $82 million domestically and $178 million globally. Since “Moana” was so expensive (it carries a $250 million price tag) and theater owners get to keep roughly half of revenues, the film is primed to lose at least $100 million in its theatrical run. Disney’s summer has been mixed, with the studio fielding outsized hits like “The Devil Wears Prada 2” ($688 million) and “Toy Story 5” along with big-budget misfires like “Moana” and “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” ($340 million against a $165 million budget).
“Minions and Monsters” tied with “Toy Story 5” for third place, with each film bringing in $14.8 million over the weekend.
For “Minions and Monsters,” those ticket sales represent a 34% drop from the prior weekend and boost revenues to $137 million domestically and $323 million globally. Since prior entries in Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me” franchise have reached or surpassed the billion-dollar mark with ease, the newest “Minions” may wind up as the lowest-grossing of the bunch. However, this installment was produced for $85 million and will turn a profit for the studio.
“Toy Story 5” is one summer’s biggest hits with $430 million in North America and $958 million worldwide after five weekends of release. It’ll soon surpass $1 billion and eventually overtake its predecessor, 2019’s “Toy Story 4” ($1.07 billion), as the highest-grossing entry in the beloved Pixar franchise.
Meanwhile, “Supergirl” dropped to No. 9 with $1.5 million in its fourth weekend. After a month in theaters, the latest comic book adaptation from Warner Bros. and DC is fizzling with $69.9 million domestically and $120 million globally. Given its hefty $170 million budget, “Supergirl” is projected to lose more than $120 million in its theatrical run. It’s the second notable flop in 2026 for Warner Bros., following this spring’s “The Bride!” which flatlined with $23 million worldwide against a $90 million budget.
Elsewhere, A24’s comedy “The Invite” has collected $3.9 million over the weekend from 2,110 screens, its widest footprint to date. After about a month in limited release, Olivia Wilde’s movie has grossed a promising $15 million.
