Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem has become one of the biggest films of 2026. The movie, which stars Matt Damon as the Greek hero Odysseus, has collected $911.4 million worldwide after three weekends in theatres. The film is now getting close to the $1 billion mark and could cross that number in its fourth weekend.
The movie opened on July 17 and made $264.1 million in its first weekend. That number included $124.5 million from the United States and Canada and $139.6 million from other countries. This was Nolan’s biggest global opening of his career. The film also set a record for the biggest live-action opening of 2026.
The Film Passes the $900 Million Mark
By the end of its third weekend, The Odyssey had collected $395.5 million from North American theatres and $515.9 million from international markets. The movie crossed the $900 million milestone during that third weekend. It became only the fourth film of 2026 to reach $900 million globally, after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Michael, and Toy Story 5.
The film has now become Christopher Nolan’s fourth highest-grossing movie of all time. It has already passed Interstellar ($681.1 million) and Inception ($828.3 million). The movie is now chasing Oppenheimer ($975.8 million) to enter Nolan’s top three.
IMAX Screens Drive Big Numbers
A large part of The Odyssey’s success has come from IMAX screenings. The film was the first full-length commercial feature shot completely with IMAX film cameras. During its third weekend, the movie earned $68 million from IMAX screens worldwide. That made it IMAX’s second highest-grossing weekend ever.
IMAX demand was so high that theatres added shows at unusual times. AMC scheduled 70-millimeter IMAX screenings at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., and 6 a.m. in some cities. Almost all of these shows sold out. IMAX tickets went on sale a year before the film’s release, and fans quickly bought them up. More than 50 theatres across North America added shows between midnight and 7 a.m. to meet demand.
IMAX’s chief executive Rich Gelfond said the film would continue to play well for weeks.
Strong Audience Response
The film received positive reactions from both critics and audiences. It earned an A CinemaScore from opening-night audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film got a 94% score from critics and a 97% rating from audiences.
The movie cost $250 million to make. It has already made back its budget many times over. The film’s success shows that audiences still turn out for original films from well-known directors. According to PostTrak, a film industry research service, most ticket buyers said Nolan was the main reason they bought tickets. The ensemble cast ranked second as the reason people went to see the film.
Universal Pictures Reaches a New Milestone
The Odyssey’s box office performance has helped Universal Pictures reach a major achievement. The studio became the first to cross $4 billion in global box office for 2026. This is the fifth time Universal has crossed this mark in its history. The studio counts $1.53 billion from domestic markets and $2.48 billion from international markets.
Universal has led the global weekend box office for 10 weekends in 2026. Three of the top five highest-grossing films worldwide this year are distributed by Universal: The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Michael. Only three films have crossed $1 billion so far in 2026, and Universal represents two of them.
Competition with Spider-Man
The Odyssey faced strong competition during its third weekend from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The superhero film opened with $927 million globally. That made it the second-biggest opening of all time, behind only Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man: Brand New Day took over many IMAX screens, except in China, Japan, and South Korea where The Odyssey has not yet launched.
Despite this competition, The Odyssey still had a strong third weekend. It collected $51 million domestically, which is Nolan’s best-ever third weekend performance. Both films are expected to cross the $1 billion mark soon.
The Cast and Story
The Odyssey features a star-studded cast. Matt Damon plays the lead role of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. The film follows his difficult journey home after fighting in the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces gods, monsters, storms, and other dangers.
The supporting cast includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Robert Pattinson. The film is Nolan’s first movie since Oppenheimer, which won several Academy Awards in 2024.
Upcoming Releases in Asia
The Odyssey has not yet opened in several major Asian markets. The film is scheduled to release in South Korea on August 5. It will open in China on August 14 and Japan on September 11. These additional releases could add significantly to the film’s global total.
The cast and filmmakers have been promoting the film in Asia. Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and director Christopher Nolan recently attended a press conference in Seoul. They previously visited Beijing for promotional events. If The Odyssey passes $1.1 billion, it would become Nolan’s highest-grossing film, beating The Dark Knight Rises which earned $1.1 billion in 2012.
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Records Broken So Far
The Odyssey has broken several box office records during its run. It delivered Nolan’s biggest global opening, his biggest opening in North America, and the biggest live-action debut of 2026. The film also recorded the biggest domestic opening for a Nolan film outside the Batman franchise. It has the strongest third-weekend domestic performance of any Nolan film.
In India, the film crossed Rs 100 crore in its first week. It has collected around Rs 178 crore gross at the Indian box office. The film became the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2026 in India.
The film’s North American total of $395.5 million has already surpassed American Sniper’s domestic lifetime gross of $350.2 million. The Odyssey is now the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time domestically and is aiming for the number two spot.
The box office numbers show that The Odyssey has become one of the biggest films of the year. With more markets still to open, the film’s total will likely continue to grow in the coming weeks.
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