‘The Odyssey’ Becomes Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Global Box Office Opening Ever

Topline

“The Odyssey” sold $264.1 million worth of tickets globally in its opening weekend—Christopher Nolan’s best-performing weekend at the box office ever, above “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012.

Key Facts

The film, adapted from Homer’s famous poem, reportedly grossed $124.5 million in domestic ticket sales, the third-largest opening of the year after “Toy Story 5” ($159 million), and marking Nolan’s biggest domestic debut since “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012 ($160 million).

Global ticket sales for Universal’s “The Odyssey” came in at $264.1 million, ahead of “The Dark Knight Rises” at $249 million.

The movie is also the best-ever opening for Matt Damon, who leads an all-star cast as “Odysseus,” and is the fourth-best R-rated opening ever, according to Deadline.

The film topped its projected opening total of $258 million in global ticket sales and $120 million in projected domestic sales.

Tangent

The film received rave reviews—95% from critics and a 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Key Background

The film needs $625 million in ticket sales to break even, with its reported $250 million production budget and $125 million marketing budget. It adds to a long list of Nolan’s box office hits, including “The Dark Knight” trilogy and “Oppenheimer.” “The Odyssey” is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and IMAX has accounted for 23% of its ticket sales, which went on sale starting a year ago as part of the film’s aggressive marketing push.

further reading

‘The Odyssey’ On Track For $257 Million Global Opening—And Nolan’s Biggest Launch (Forbes)