The Odyssey earns $18.05 million on Wednesday, marking Nolan's second-best midweek gross

Universal's "The Odyssey" generated $18.05 million in domestic ticket sales on Wednesday, a 16% decline from Tuesday's $21.4 million. The figure ranks as the second-largest Wednesday gross for a Christopher Nolan movie, trailing only the $18.3 million earned by "The Dark Knight" on July 23, 2008, and surpassing the $13.77 million recorded by "The Dark Knight Rises" on a comparable day. The film's six-day total now stands at $181.6 million.

Industry estimates project the second weekend could bring between $61 million and $74 million, potentially exceeding the second-weekend earnings of Nolan's "The Dark Knight" ($75.1 million) and "The Dark Knight Rises" ($62.1 million). By comparison, Nolan's 2023 release "Oppenheimer" earned $10.6 million on Wednesday and has a six-day cumulative total of $117.8 million, placing "The Odyssey" about 54% ahead.

The weekend slate shows no major studio releases directly competing with "The Odyssey." Independent titles include Bleecker Street's filmed version of the Broadway musical "Hadestown," projected to earn $8 million-$10 million, Neon’s "Her Private Hell" with modest single-digit openings at 700 sites, and IFC’s dialogue-less noir "Motor City" at 1,600 locations.

The film continues to occupy premium large format (PLF) and IMAX screens, accounting for 52% of its $123.5 million opening weekend gross, or $64.2 million. Nolan's highest-grossing domestic film remains "The Dark Knight" with $534.9 million.