Christopher Nolan’s film *Odyssey* grossed $264.1 million at the global box office during its opening weekend, Universal Pictures has announced. Of this total, $124.5 million came from the US and Canada, whilst $139.6 million came from international markets. The film, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, topped the weekend box office according to Comscore.
Briefly about the main points
- The global box office takings for *Odyssey* totalled $264.1 million.
- In the US and Canada, the film grossed $124.5 million.
- International markets generated $139.6 million.
- IMAX grossed $51.8 million from worldwide box office takings.
- Half of the North American audience opted for premium formats.
Cinema release
According to Box Office Mojo, as at 20 July, Total start-up costs worldwide amounted to $264.064 million — practically the same as the rounded figure of $264.1 million given by Universal. In the US and Canada, the film was released in 3,919 cinemas.
«The Odyssey» is Nolan’s first film since 2023«s *Oppenheimer*. The new film is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic: Matt Damon plays Odysseus, who returns home after the Trojan War and encounters gods, monsters, storms and tragedy.
Audiences at the first midnight screenings gave the film an ‘A’ rating on the CinemaScore scale, whilst its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes reached 97%. According to Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution at Universal, half of ticket buyers in the US and Canada were aged between 18 and 34.
Premium screens have become one of the key drivers
IMAX reported global box office takings of $51.8 million for *Odyssey*, including $29.6 million in North America. The company described this as the best opening weekend in its history. Forty-one cinemas with 70mm IMAX projection grossed $6.3 million.
According to Universal, half of cinema-goers in the US and Canada opted for enhanced formats, with 23% specifically choosing IMAX. IMAX accounted for approximately one-fifth of the opening weekend box office worldwide and nearly a quarter in North America, indicating the significant role that premium viewing plays in box office results.
«Odyssey» became the first feature-length film to be shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Ahead of the premiere, demand for tickets was so high that over 50 cinemas in North America added late-night screenings between midnight and 7 am. IMAX will dedicate all its screens to the film for three weeks.
International release and its place amongst Nolan’s films
The film was released in 73 international markets, across more than 12,800 cinemas and 26,000 screens, 440 of which were IMAX screens. The biggest overseas opening was recorded in the UK and Ireland: £12.9 million, or $17.4 million, over three days.
Taking inflation into account, *Odysssey* ranks third among Nolan’s best global releases. Ahead of it are *The Dark Knight Rises* with $358.5 million and *The Dark Knight* with $304 million, adjusted for inflation to reflect the prices of the respective periods.
Future meetings will depend on audience engagement
The production budget for *Odyssey* is $250 million, whilst Universal, according to the AP, is spending around $125 million on marketing. Therefore, a strong opening weekend does not automatically determine the film’s financial performance at the box office: the results of the coming weeks will be crucial in this regard.
IMAX Chief Executive Rich Gelfond has stated that advance ticket sales for the second weekend rank among the top ten in the company’s history, and 70mm screenings are almost completely sold out roughly a month in advance. This indicates that demand for large-format screenings remains strong, although box office performance may be affected by competition: *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* is due to be released on 31 July.
