“The Odyssey” has reached two significant box office milestones over the weekend. The large-scale adaptation of Homer’s original epic has officially become Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing movie ever, earning $1.1 billion and moving ahead of 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” which finished with $1.08 billion, without inflation adjustment. The sword-and-sandal epic has also become Imax’s highest-grossing movie ever, collecting $289 million and surpassing 2009’s “Avatar” at $271 million, also without adjusting for inflation.
The film currently ranks as the second-highest-grossing movie of the year behind “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which has reached $1.67 billion. It is also the second-biggest R-rated movie in box office history, trailing only 2024’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” which earned $1.3 billion.
These accomplishments are particularly notable because “The Odyssey” still has considerable life left in its theatrical release. To date, the R-rated film has earned $461 million in North America and $643 million from international markets, bringing its worldwide total to $1.1 billion. That figure includes an extraordinary $110 million fourth-weekend haul worldwide, with $79 million coming from overseas markets and $31.5 million from North America. The film is also still awaiting its opening in China, the world’s second-largest moviegoing market, where it is scheduled to debut Aug. 14.
Nolan, widely regarded as the most commercially successful director of his generation, established himself as a major box office attraction through films including “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “Interstellar.” His movies have collectively generated $7 billion worldwide, with three titles — “The Odyssey,” 2009’s “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” — exceeding the coveted $1 billion threshold. His 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, came close with $975 million, an extraordinary result for a three-hour historical biopic and the filmmaker’s first Oscar-best picture winner.
“A singular filmmaker with the international following of Christopher Nolan is uniquely fit to adapt Homer’s ancient poem, which is one of the most influential and well-known stories in the world,” said Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, Universal’s president of international distribution. “’The Odyssey’ is a global epic that has resonated with audiences everywhere with its massive scope and uncompromising vision.”
“The Odyssey,” which features Matt Damon as the Greek king Odysseus, is particularly notable for being the first feature film shot entirely using Imax cameras. Other major studio films typically employ Imax technology only for selected sequences. In North America, “The Odyssey” has earned $147.3 million through Imax, making it the format’s biggest domestic release so far. International markets have contributed another $141.8 million, with that total coming before the movie opens in China, where Imax operates approximately 800 screens. The film has already collected $6.3 million from preview screenings in China.
Imax 70mm screenings — also known as Nolan’s preferred way to experience the film — have generated $37.5 million from only 41 venues worldwide, accounting for 14% of the company’s overall box office. Because 70mm theaters remain limited in number, numerous locations are already sold out through September.
“We had the very highest of hopes for ‘The Odyssey’ from the start,” says Imax’s CEO Richard Gelfond. “But it somehow continues to exceed them, and its historic performance is headlining what we expect will be our best year ever at the global box office.”