Nolan's 'The Odyssey' earns $264 million worldwide in opening weekend
'The Odyssey' opened to $264 million globally, marking Christopher Nolan's strongest international debut and the third-largest U.S. opening of 2026.
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the ancient Greek epic "The Odyssey" generated $264 million in worldwide ticket sales during its opening weekend, according to Universal Pictures. The film earned $124.5 million in North America, making it the third-largest domestic opening of 2026 after "Toy Story 5" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie".
The $250 million production, the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, surpassed early forecasts of about $200 million and exceeded Nolan's previous best international debut, which was $249 million for 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises". It also outperformed the opening of Nolan's 2023 film "Oppenheimer", which debuted with $180 million globally.
"Christopher Nolan is the only filmmaker working today who could take an ancient story like this, attract a cast as sprawling and accomplished as this, and make it a pop culture event," wrote franchise reporter David A. Gross for Variety.
Industry observers note that the film faces competition from the upcoming release of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" on July 31, which could influence its trajectory toward the $1 billion milestone.