'The Odyssey' brings in $264.1M in worldwide ticket sales

Director Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" made an epic debut, grossing US$264.1 million in global ticket sales during its opening weekend, including $124.5 million in the United States and Canada, Universal Pictures said on Sunday.

U.S. actor Matt Damon (L), British-U.S. director Christopher Nolan (C) and U.S. actress Anne Hathaway (R) attend "The Odyssey" premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York on July 14, 2026

Based on Homer's ancient Greek poem, the film stars Matt Damon as the Greek hero Odysseus and follows his perilous journey home after the Trojan War.

It is Nolan's first film since the 2023 blockbuster "Oppenheimer," which won multiple Academy Awards, including best director and best picture.

"There's just palpable excitement across the domestic market this weekend for 'The Odyssey'," said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution at Universal.

The film topped both the domestic and global box office over the weekend, according to Rentrak. It drew broad audience appeal, with half of ticket buyers between the ages of 18 and 34, Orr told Reuters.

The strong opening performance underscores director Christopher Nolan's popularity with moviegoers.

"Modern audiences should not be underestimated on their knowledge of film and filmmakers," said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's head of marketplace trends. "And that passion they have for film is manifest in their devotion to Christopher Nolan. It really is a thing."

"The Odyssey" cost $250 million to produce. It earned an A CinemaScore from audiences attending opening-night screenings and holds a 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film ranks among the biggest opening weekends of Nolan's career.

Adjusted for inflation, "The Odyssey" is Nolan's third-largest global opening, behind 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" and 2008's "The Dark Knight," which generated inflation-adjusted worldwide opening-weekend ticket sales of $358.5 million and $304 million, respectively.

Half of moviegoers in the United States and Canada chose to watch "The Odyssey" in a premium format, including 23% who saw it in IMAX theaters, according to Universal.

Fans began purchasing tickets for "The Odyssey" a year ago when seats at select IMAX theaters went on sale. IMAX said demand was so strong that more than 50 theaters across North America added showings between midnight and 7 a.m.

IMAX Chief Executive Richard Gelfond said the company recorded $50 million in advance ticket sales, the highest presales in its history. He has promoted the use of IMAX cameras and 70 mm film to capture the epic story, helping generate additional buzz around the movie.

"It was just a well-made – almost perfectly made – movie in many respects," said Gelfond.

Most scholars believe the epic poem attributed to Homer was composed in the seventh or eighth century BC and was passed down orally before being written down. Nolan's film focuses on part of Odysseus' journey home, during which he encounters gods and monsters, storms and tragedy.