Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" opened to $264.1 million worldwide, making it the biggest global debut of his career and a striking result for an R-rated, near-three-hour film without franchise backing. The Universal release adapts Homer's ancient epic and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside a large ensemble cast, with its success underlining Nolan's box-office pull following the acclaim and record earnings of 2023's "Oppenheimer".

The weekend haul comprised $124.5 million domestically and $139.6 million internationally across 73 markets, surpassing Nolan's previous best openings from "The Dark Knight Rises" ($249 million) and "The Dark Knight" ($198 million), though figures aren't inflation-adjusted. It ranks as the year's third-biggest opening behind "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and "Toy Story 5", with top overseas territories including the UK and Ireland ($17.4 million), France ($13.7 million) and Italy ($11.5 million); the film has yet to open in South Korea, China or Japan.