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Nolan’s Odyssey earns $124m opening, Nolan’s biggest since 2012
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Christopher Nolan's epic "The Odyssey" opened to $124.5 million domestically, far exceeding expectations and marking the director's biggest debut since 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises". It stands as the third-largest domestic opening of 2026, behind only "Toy Story 5" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie", a notable achievement given the film is a nearly three-hour R-rated adventure, a genre and rating combination that typically limits ticket sales.
Adapted from Homer's ancient poem, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside an ensemble including Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Charlize Theron, and has drawn strong reviews with a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" CinemaScore. Internationally it added $139.6 million from 73 markets, taking its worldwide total to $264.1 million, Nolan's biggest global opening to date, ahead of previous hits including "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Dark Knight" and "Oppenheimer". Universal spent $250 million producing the film and a further $125 million marketing it, and with no major new releases until "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" on 31 July, the studio expects the film to sustain a lengthy theatrical run.
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In short
- "The Odyssey" opened to $124.5m domestically, Nolan's best since 2012
- Worldwide debut hit $264.1m, Nolan's biggest global opening ever
- Matt Damon-led epic scored 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" CinemaScore
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Coverage was refreshed to clarify that the record haul came from opening weekend takings, to narrow the film's list of surpassed Nolan predecessors to "The Dark Knight" and "Oppenheimer", and to specify Sony as the studio behind the "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" release that still looms as the film's first real box-office competition.
- 4 months ago Christopher Nolan's R-rated "The Odyssey" launched to a $124.5 million domestic debut and a $264.1 million worldwide haul, becoming his biggest opening ever on the strength of a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and an "A" CinemaScore, with Universal banking on an extended run before "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" arrives on 31 July.
- The Hollywood Reporter ‘The Odyssey’ Seizes $124M Opening in Box Office Triumph
- Variety Nolan’s Odyssey earns $124m opening, Nolan’s biggest since 2012
Explained simply
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek poem attributed to Homer. It follows Odysseus, a king and soldier, on his long and difficult journey home after the Trojan War, encountering gods, monsters and other dangers.
Christopher Nolan is a British-American director known for large-scale films including The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Oppenheimer. His new version brings the story to modern cinema with Matt Damon as Odysseus and a cast of well-known actors.
Big cinema releases are judged partly by their ticket sales in the first few days, both in the United States and abroad. A strong start is especially notable for a long film with an R rating, which limits younger audiences from seeing it without an adult.
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Originally published by Variety as “Box Office: ‘The Odyssey’ Stuns With $124 Million Opening Weekend, Third-Biggest Debut of the Year”.