Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has stormed into theaters with one of the biggest openings of the year, delivering a spectacular $124.5 million debut at the North American box office and reaffirming the filmmaker’s status as one of Hollywood’s most bankable directors. The mythological epic not only claimed the biggest live-action opening of 2026 but also posted the third-largest domestic debut of the year, trailing only Toy Story 5 ($159 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million).
The film’s success extended well beyond North America. Powered by strong international demand and record-breaking IMAX attendance, The Odyssey amassed an impressive $264.1 million worldwide, marking the largest global opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s career. The result comfortably surpassed the $249 million worldwide debut of The Dark Knight Rises and further demonstrates Nolan’s growing global appeal following the Oscar-winning success of Oppenheimer.
Opening in 3,919 theaters, The Odyssey significantly outperformed early industry expectations. Initial tracking had pointed to a domestic debut between $90 million and $100 million, with projections climbing throughout the weekend after the film earned $51.1 million on Friday, including Thursday previews. The momentum continued with $41.66 million on Saturday and $31.7 million on Sunday, resulting in a commanding $124.5 million opening frame.
The debut is particularly remarkable considering the film’s profile. Running nearly three hours, carrying an R rating, and adapting Homer’s ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey entered theaters as a large-scale historical adventure—genres traditionally viewed as challenging commercial propositions. Instead, audiences embraced Nolan’s ambitious vision, giving Universal Pictures one of its strongest openings in recent years and the studio’s biggest launch ever for an R-rated title.
Starring Matt Damon as the legendary Greek king Odysseus, the film follows the hero’s perilous journey home after the Trojan War as he battles mythical creatures, vengeful gods, and impossible odds in an effort to reclaim Ithaca and reunite with his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway. The ensemble also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, and Bill Irwin, making it one of the year’s most star-studded productions.
International audiences matched the enthusiasm seen in North America. The film generated $139.6 million from 73 overseas markets, pushing its worldwide opening to $264.1 million. The result represents Christopher Nolan’s biggest international launch and biggest worldwide debut, surpassing previous career highs set by The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight, and Oppenheimer.
Much of the film’s success has been driven by premium formats, particularly IMAX. As the first theatrical feature photographed entirely with IMAX film cameras, The Odyssey was marketed as a must-see theatrical experience from the outset. That strategy paid off spectacularly, with IMAX contributing $51.8 million worldwide during opening weekend.
North America accounted for $29.6 million from 444 IMAX auditoriums, representing nearly 24% of the film’s domestic opening. Internationally, IMAX generated another $22.2 million from 441 locations, while just 41 IMAX 70mm screens worldwide produced $6.3 million, averaging an extraordinary $153,000 per screen. The performance established new IMAX opening records across 26 international markets, further highlighting audiences’ willingness to seek out premium theatrical experiences for Nolan’s films.
The international rollout was equally impressive across individual territories. The United Kingdom led overseas markets with $17.4 million, delivering Nolan’s second-biggest opening there, while London’s BFI IMAX recorded the biggest three-day opening in its history. France followed with $13.7 million, becoming Nolan’s biggest opening ever in the market, aided by sold-out screenings at the country’s new Pathé Odysseum Montpellier 70mm IMAX venue. Italy contributed $11.5 million, surpassing the lifetime grosses of both Dunkirk and Tenet, while Australia delivered $9.3 million, the country’s biggest opening of the year.
Several other major markets also established new career milestones for the filmmaker. Germany debuted with $8.1 million, while India emerged as one of the weekend’s biggest success stories with $7.2 million, becoming Nolan’s largest opening ever in the country and Universal’s biggest three-day opening of all time. The Indian debut also surpassed the lifetime grosses of Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and The Dark Knight Rises, while setting a new benchmark for the biggest IMAX opening ever achieved by a Hollywood release in the market.
Elsewhere, Mexico opened to $7 million, Spain reached $5.2 million, and Brazil delivered $4.8 million, nearly doubling the opening of Oppenheimer. Additional territories including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, Turkey, Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Sweden, and Norway all reported either Christopher Nolan’s biggest opening weekend in their respective markets or new IMAX attendance records, underscoring the film’s extraordinary worldwide appeal.
Remarkably, the film’s global rollout is still far from complete. Three of the world’s most important movie markets—South Korea (August 5), China (August 14), and Japan (September 11)—have yet to release the film. Universal is expected to capitalize on the strong international momentum by sending Nolan and members of the cast to China and South Korea for promotional events ahead of those premieres, giving The Odyssey considerable room to build on its already historic opening.
For Nolan, the debut represents another defining milestone in a career that has increasingly transformed original, filmmaker-driven blockbusters into global theatrical events. Following the Oscar-winning success of Oppenheimer, The Odyssey demonstrates that audiences remain eager to embrace ambitious, adult-oriented storytelling on the biggest screens available. Strong reviews, exceptional audience reception, and unprecedented IMAX demand suggest the film’s opening weekend may only be the beginning of what could become one of the year’s biggest worldwide box office successes.
While The Odyssey dominated headlines, the remainder of the domestic box office painted a mixed picture. Disney’s live-action Moana held onto second place despite another steep decline, Pixar’s Toy Story 5 continued its march toward the billion-dollar milestone, and Universal’s Minions & Monsters remained profitable despite trailing previous entries in the franchise.
Disney’s Moana collected $19 million from 4,200 theaters in its second weekend, representing a 56% decline from its opening frame. The remake has now earned $82 million domestically and $178 million worldwide. Despite its family appeal, the film continues to underperform relative to its reported $250 million production budget, making it one of Disney’s biggest theatrical disappointments of the year. Unless overseas markets deliver an unexpected turnaround, the film is expected to finish its theatrical run well below profitability.
Pixar’s Toy Story 5 secured third place with $14.8 million, dropping just 22% in its fifth weekend. The exceptionally strong hold lifted its domestic total to $430.9 million, while worldwide earnings have climbed to $958 million. The animated sequel is now only weeks away from joining the $1 billion club and remains on course to surpass Toy Story 4’s $1.07 billion global haul to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
Universal’s Minions & Monsters matched Toy Story 5 with $14.8 million, though it ranked fourth after the final weekend estimates. The Illumination release fell 30% in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $137.5 million and worldwide earnings to $323 million. While it is likely to finish as the lowest-grossing installment in the broader Despicable Me franchise, its relatively modest $85 million budget ensures the film remains a profitable theatrical success.
Further down the chart, Evil Dead Burn rounded out the top five with $5 million in its second weekend, increasing its domestic total to $24.1 million. A24’s comedy The Invite expanded into 2,110 theaters and earned $3.9 million, pushing its domestic cume to $15 million after four weeks. Meanwhile, Young Washington continued its solid run with $3.67 million, lifting its domestic earnings to $41 million.
Among the longer-running holdovers, Focus Features’ sleeper hit Obsession added $2.5 million in its tenth weekend, bringing its impressive domestic total to $258.4 million. The psychological thriller has become one of 2026’s biggest surprise successes and continues to display remarkable staying power. Warner Bros.’ Supergirl, however, continued its disappointing theatrical run, falling another 59% to $1.53 million for a domestic total of $69.9 million after four weekends. Universal’s Disclosure Day completed the Top 10 with $1.45 million, pushing its North American total to $114.7 million.
Top 10 Domestic Box Office (Weekend)
- 1. The Odyssey — $124.5 million weekend | $124.5 million domestic total | Week 1
- 2. Moana — $19 million weekend | $82 million domestic total | Week 2
- 3. Toy Story 5 — $14.8 million weekend | $430.9 million domestic total | Week 5
- 4. Minions & Monsters — $14.8 million weekend | $137.5 million domestic total | Week 3
- 5. Evil Dead Burn — $5 million weekend | $24.1 million domestic total | Week 2
- 6. The Invite — $3.9 million weekend | $15 million domestic total | Week 4
- 7. Young Washington — $3.67 million weekend | $41 million domestic total | Week 3
- 8. Obsession — $2.5 million weekend | $258.4 million domestic total | Week 10
- 9. Supergirl — $1.53 million weekend | $69.9 million domestic total | Week 4
- 10. Disclosure Day — $1.45 million weekend | $114.7 million domestic total | Week 6
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey ultimately transformed what could have been a routine midsummer weekend into one of the most significant box office stories of the year. Its $124.5 million domestic debut, $264.1 million worldwide opening, and record-breaking IMAX performance reaffirm Nolan’s unique ability to turn original, adult-oriented filmmaking into a global theatrical event. With China, South Korea, and Japan still awaiting release, the epic has considerable room to expand its worldwide total, making it one of the strongest contenders to finish among 2026’s biggest global box office successes.
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