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‘The Odyssey’ Launches Weekend Voyage With Thursday Previews Around $15M U.S. – Box Office
Christopher Nolan's epic *The Odyssey*, from Universal, took in around $15 million in Thursday night preview screenings in the US, an exclusive report from Deadline suggests. This makes it the strongest live-action preview haul of the year so far, surpassing Lionsgate's *Michael* ($12.6 million previews), and signals strong early demand for the film ahead of its full weekend opening.
The film's Rotten Tomatoes audience score sits at 96%, the best of Nolan's career, ahead of *Batman Begins*, *The Dark Knight* and *Memento* (all 94%) and *Oppenheimer* (91%). It ranks as Nolan's third-best US preview night, behind *The Dark Knight Rises* ($30.6 million) and *The Dark Knight* ($18.5 million), and ahead of *Oppenheimer*'s $10.5 million previews. Advance ticket sales heading into the weekend were estimated at $30–40 million, notably lower than *Wicked: For Good*'s $60 million presale, while Imax 70mm showtimes reportedly sold out a year in advance. Universal did not respond to a request for comment.
In short
- *The Odyssey* earned roughly $15M in US Thursday previews
- Best 2026 live-action preview total and Nolan's highest-ever audience score
- Advance ticket sales estimated at $30–40M for the weekend
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan is a director known for creating ambitious, large-scale films including Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy and Oppenheimer. His latest project, The Odyssey, is an epic production being released by Universal Pictures.
Major films typically receive preview screenings on the evening before their official weekend launch. The box office earnings from these preview screenings are watched closely, as they traditionally serve as one of the earliest and most reliable indicators of how well a film will perform during its opening weekend.
The box office performance of major studio releases, particularly from acclaimed directors like Nolan, attracts significant attention from audiences, industry professionals and media organisations. Strong preview screenings can indicate substantial audience enthusiasm and potential for commercial success.