Nolan's The Odyssey Opens to $264M Global Debut

Director Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey had an epic debut, grossing $264.1 million in global ticket sales on its opening weekend, including $123.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to Universal Pictures.

The film outperformed studio expectations of a $117-million domestic opening and set a record for the highest-grossing opening weekend for a live-action or R-rated film so far this year. It now ranks as the third-highest domestic debut of 2026, trailing only Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 ($159.7 million) and Universal, Illumination and Nintendo’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131.7 million).

The film, based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer, stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and follows his perilous journey home after fighting the Trojan War. It is Nolan’s first movie since the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer, which won Academy Awards in several categories, including directing and best picture.

The Odyssey cost $250 million to make and received an A CinemaScore from filmgoers who attended opening-night screenings. It also earned a 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film represents Nolan’s biggest global opening of all time without factoring in inflation, according to TimesLIVE.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Universal's president of domestic theatrical distribution, Jim Orr, said there was palpable excitement across the domestic market for The Odyssey. The film topped the weekend's domestic and global box office. Half of ticket-buyers were between the ages of 18 and 34 years old.

Fans began purchasing tickets a year ago when seats at select IMAX theaters went on sale. According to Los Angeles Times, demand for tickets was so high that more than 50 theaters across North America added show times between midnight and 7am. The film centers on Odysseus's homecoming, where he encounters gods and monsters, storms and tragedy.

The nearly three-hour epic is the first feature to be shot entirely on Imax cameras, a feat that required extensive cooperation between Nolan and the Canadian entertainment tech company. Enhanced formats made up 53% of the domestic weekend’s total, with both film and digital IMAX revenue comprising 23.8%. The massive reception for the film is a relief for theater owners, who weathered their own rough waters in the last few weeks.

The summer box office is up 7.3% compared to the lackluster 2025 season, according to entertainment data firm Rentrak. Year-to-date domestic box office is now 10.4% higher than for the same period last year, driven by both big blockbusters and smaller-budget films.

The film's success highlights the draw of directors with strong fan bases, including Nolan, who has cultivated a faithful following over more than two decades. The Odyssey notched a 95% on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore rating.