Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Opens to $124.5 Million in North America
Christopher Nolan's film 'The Odyssey' earned $124.5 million on its opening weekend in the United States, marking the biggest live-action debut of 2026 and setting a new record for Universal's R-rated releases.
Universal Pictures reported that Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic earned $124.5 million from 3,900 North American screens during its opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing live-action debut of 2026. The film also achieved a $264.1 million worldwide total, including $139.6 million from 73 international markets, surpassing Nolan’s previous opening record set by The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.
The movie, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron, received an A rating from CinemaScore and a 95 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience surveys gave it a 97 percent score on the same platform.
"Christopher Nolan continues to create films that are immersive theatrical events," said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal, adding that the studio is proud to work with Nolan and Emma Thomas on the project.
IMAX screenings contributed $29.6 million to the domestic total, accounting for 23.8 percent of the U.S. earnings, while international IMAX venues added $22.2 million. Overall, premium-large-format screenings represented 53 percent of the North American box-office share.
The opening performance exceeded the studio’s original domestic forecast of $80-$100 million. The film also recorded the top R-rated opening of the year and the highest opening weekend for an R-rated title in Universal’s history.
Other releases this weekend included Disney’s Moana (live-action), which earned $19 million in its second weekend, and Universal’s Minions & Monsters, which brought its domestic total to $136 million. Warner Bros.’ Evil Dead Burn recorded a two-week domestic total of $24.1 million.