Christopher Nolan's Homeric epic "The Odyssey" delivered the biggest opening of his career, taking nearly $265 million globally and reinforcing his status as one of the few directors whose name alone guarantees a major box-office event. The film's success has boosted Universal Pictures and its entertainment and studios chairman, Donna Langley, who lured Nolan away from his long-time home Warner Bros in 2021 after the director grew furious over the studio's decision to release films simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max during the pandemic.

Analysts believe "The Odyssey" could ultimately gross $1 billion worldwide and has also shaken up this year's Oscars race, challenging Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" as the presumed populist best picture frontrunner. Langley previously fought off Sony, Paramount and Apple Studios to secure Nolan's "Oppenheimer", and although he has never signed an exclusive studio deal, Universal has effectively become his default partner, backing costly productions that typically run to roughly $250 million in budget plus another $100 million in marketing with no guaranteed return.