Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has launched its theatrical run with the biggest preview gross of the year, earning $17.6 million from Thursday screenings at the North American box office. The strong start edges past Toy Story 5’s $17.5 million in previews, setting a new benchmark for 2026 and reinforcing the immense anticipation surrounding Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic.
The impressive preview figure comes after more than a year of unprecedented buzz. Universal put IMAX tickets on sale a full year before release, with many premium-format screenings selling out almost immediately. That early demand has carried through to opening weekend, with moviegoers travelling long distances and booking late-night and early-morning screenings to experience the film in IMAX.
Industry projections currently estimate The Odyssey will debut between $90 million and $100 million domestically. However, the robust preview performance suggests those forecasts may prove conservative. Should the film climb above the $100 million mark, it would become only the third release of 2026 to open at or above that milestone, joining Toy Story 5 ($159 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million).
The opening would also represent Nolan’s biggest domestic debut since The Dark Knight Rises, which launched with $160 million in 2012. While films such as Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer all enjoyed successful theatrical runs, none matched the opening weekend scale of his final Batman installment.
The performance is particularly notable when compared with Oppenheimer, Nolan’s previous film and the eventual Academy Award winner for Best Picture. That historical drama earned $10.5 million in Thursday previews before opening to $82 million domestically. Driven by exceptional reviews, premium-format demand, and the cultural phenomenon of “Barbenheimer,” Oppenheimer ultimately grossed $975 million worldwide. The Odyssey has begun its run from an even stronger starting position.
Premium formats continue to play a central role in the film’s success. The Odyssey is the first feature shot entirely using IMAX cameras, making large-format presentations a major selling point. Reports of sold-out IMAX engagements, overnight screenings, and fans travelling across state lines highlight the level of demand Nolan has generated for the film’s theatrical presentation.
The scale of the launch reflects the enormous investment behind the project. The Odyssey reportedly carries a production budget of approximately $250 million, with an estimated $125 million spent on global marketing. Combined, those costs make it one of the most expensive films released this year and reportedly the most expensive R-rated film ever produced, meaning sustained box office performance will be just as important as its opening weekend.
Strong critical reception could help drive those long-term results. The film currently holds a 96% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising Nolan’s ambitious adaptation of Homer’s classic poem, its technical achievements, and its large-scale filmmaking.
Leading the ensemble is Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal. The combination of Nolan’s reputation following Oppenheimer, a star-studded cast, and the promise of a premium-format spectacle has made The Odyssey one of the year’s biggest theatrical events.
As the weekend unfolds, industry attention will shift to whether the film can surpass current forecasts and cross the $100 million mark domestically. Regardless of where it lands, its record-breaking preview performance has already positioned The Odyssey as one of the biggest box office stories of 2026.
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