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‘The Odyssey’ Box Office Journey Begins With $17.6M in Previews
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has launched its box office run with $17.6 million from Thursday preview screenings in North America, positioning it for a stronger-than-expected opening weekend after a run of underwhelming releases at cinemas. The Universal Pictures adaptation of Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o, is on track to secure the top live-action and R-rated opening of the year, as well as Universal's biggest-ever opening for an R-rated film.
Screening on 3,900 North American screens, the film is projected to take around $50 million on its opening Friday and roughly $117 million across the full weekend, exceeding earlier estimates of $80-100 million; it also carries a $250 million production budget and is expected to open globally around $200 million. It holds a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, Nolan's highest-rated film to date, ahead of The Dark Knight and Memento on 94 percent and Oppenheimer on 93. Notably, it is the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras, and benefits from an uncontested release slot the following weekend before Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives on 31 July, though it faces some competition from Sunday's World Cup final.
In short
- Nolan's "The Odyssey" earned $17.6M in previews, beating box office expectations
- Set for biggest R-rated and live-action opening of 2026 so far
- Film holds a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, Nolan's best-reviewed release yet
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan has adapted Homer's ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey for the screen. The original work, written thousands of years ago, recounts a hero's difficult journey home after war, and has inspired numerous retellings across literature, film and other forms. This new version, financed by Universal Pictures, stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o.
Nolan is known for directing ambitious, large-scale films including Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight trilogy, making him a significant figure in cinema. This project carries a production budget of $250 million and has been shot entirely on IMAX cameras, a technical approach few films have attempted. The finished film has attracted strong critical reviews.
The release arrives after cinemas have experienced a quieter period for box office earnings. It opens widely across North America with minimal competition from other major releases during its opening weekend, though it will share audience attention with other major events such as the World Cup final. The film's commercial performance is noteworthy as a test of audience appetite for large-budget releases.