Universal's "The Odyssey" Tops $1.68 Billion, Surpassing Jurassic World

By the end of the weekend, the science-fiction epic "The Odyssey" is projected to have earned $1.684 billion globally, overtaking Universal's previous record holder, 2015's "Jurassic World," which finished with $1.677 billion. The film is expected to reach $601.2 million in the United States and $1.083 billion overseas, placing it as the 12th highest-grossing film ever and the third-largest non-franchise release.

The movie posted a 6.39-times multiple at the worldwide box office and returned to the No. 1 spot in its eighth weekend, with only a 9% drop in domestic earnings. It also became director Christopher Nolan's top-grossing title both domestically and globally, surpassing "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises."

"What Chris and Emma have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history," said Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment.

Among the milestones noted are the largest international opening for Nolan ($139.6 million internationally, $264.1 million worldwide), the biggest domestic IMAX 70 mm opening ($6.3 million), and the strongest domestic opening for a Universal R-rated film ($123.5 million). The film also set records as the highest-grossing R-rated movie worldwide, the top-earning IMAX title with over $486 million, and the first non-sequel, non-remake to exceed $1 billion internationally since 2009.

"The Odyssey" topped box-office totals in 45 international markets, including Australia, France, Italy, India and South Korea, and remains Universal's second-highest domestic earner behind "Jurassic World." The studio continues to lead major studios with cumulative box-office receipts exceeding $4.92 billion this year, having been the first to surpass $4 billion globally and $3 billion internationally in the current calendar year.