Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer's foundational poem starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, opened to $124.5 million in North America across its first three days and a further $139.6 million from 73 international markets, according to figures reported by Deadline, Variety, and Screen Daily. The combined global total of $264.1 million is the largest opening weekend of Nolan's career, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises, which launched to $249 million in 2012.

The film, released on 17 July by Universal Pictures, carried a production budget of $250 million — the most expensive of Nolan's career. Studio projections had targeted a domestic opening in the $80–100 million range, making the final tally a significant overperformance. Audiences awarded it an A CinemaScore, matching the grade Nolan received for Oppenheimer in 2023.

Europe leads the international charge

Across Europe, the film found its most enthusiastic audiences in its opening days. The UK and Ireland topped all international markets at $17.4 million, delivering the biggest ever three-day opening at the BFI IMAX in London. France followed at $13.7 million and Italy at $11.5 million — both record Nolan openings in their respective territories, according to Screen Daily. Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland were among 48 countries where the film set new Nolan debut records.

One complicating factor in Spain was the timing of the FIFA World Cup semi-final between the UK and France on the Saturday evening, which Screen Daily noted slowed evening business in Britain. Despite that, the results held firm. Argentina, where the World Cup final against Spain drew national attention, saw a comparatively modest $1 million debut.

“"There's a palpable excitement in theaters this weekend," said Jim Orr, Universal's domestic distribution president.”

IMAX becomes the story within the story

The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras, a technical distinction that shaped not just how the film looks but how it performed commercially. IMAX screenings globally generated $51.8 million — roughly 19.6% of the total worldwide gross. Of that, $6.3 million came from just 41 screens showing the film in analogue 70mm, an average of approximately $153,000 per screen, a remarkable figure by any measure. North American IMAX revenue alone reached $29.6 million from 444 auditoriums.

Tickets for 70mm screenings — a format requiring specialised projection equipment found in only a handful of cinemas worldwide — had been on sale since July 2025, an unprecedented move for a major studio. Fandango, the US ticketing platform, reported The Odyssey as its top preseller of 2026, with advance sales reaching approximately $40 million before release day. Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, said IMAX had helped "turn it from a great movie into a massive cultural event on a worldwide basis."

“"Premium screen showtimes, especially IMAX, sell out weeks in advance for Nolan's releases, guaranteeing a long box office runway for 'The Odyssey' as positive word of mouth sets in," Robbins said.”

What comes next

Three of the world's largest cinema markets have not yet opened. South Korea releases the film on 5 August, China on 14 August, and Japan on 11 September. Those three markets alone could add tens of millions of dollars to the global total in the coming weeks. For context, Oppenheimer ultimately earned $975 million worldwide over its full run after opening to just $82 million domestically — a precedent that will encourage Universal to treat The Odyssey as a long-run theatrical event rather than a film that peaks in its first fortnight.

The wider industry context is also encouraging. The 2026 North American box office year-to-date stands at $5.4 billion through 19 July, up 10% on the same period in 2025, according to Rentrak data cited by Deadline. The Odyssey's arrival further distances 2026 from the post-pandemic slump, though the industry remains around $1 billion behind the equivalent point in 2019's record-breaking year. Matt Damon, meanwhile, logged his largest ever domestic opening as a lead actor, surpassing The Bourne Ultimatum's $69.2 million debut in 2007.

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