"The Odyssey" Makes Powerful Debut, Grossing $200 Million Globally

Christopher Nolan's latest cinematic offering, "The Odyssey," has made a powerful debut at the box office, surpassing early expectations and signaling a major success for Universal Pictures. The film garnered an impressive $17.6 million from Thursday previews across 3,900 North American theaters. Projections indicate a robust opening day of $50 million on Friday, with the weekend total anticipated to reach $117 million.

Globally, "The Odyssey" is expected to gross around $200 million in its opening weekend, a significant figure given its production budget of $250 million. Should these predictions hold true, the film will mark the biggest live-action opening of the year and the top R-rated opening of 2026. It also stands as Universal Pictures' most successful opening in its history.

The film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, striving to return home after the Trojan War, alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong'o. Hathaway portrays Penelope, Odysseus's wife. A notable technical achievement, "The Odyssey" is the first film to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras, with screenings in the 70mm IMAX format quickly selling out.

Critical reception for Nolan's new work has been overwhelmingly positive. The film holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of Nolan's career, surpassing "The Dark Knight" and "Memento." The Hollywood Reporter's chief film critic, David Rooney, described it as "a thoughtful action film, simultaneously grand and personal," though he noted some challenges with its episodic nature and casting choices. In The Hollywood Reporter's ranking of Nolan's films, "The Odyssey" has already secured the second position, trailing only "The Dark Knight."

“

a thoughtful action film, simultaneously grand and personal, although its flow is hampered by the inherently episodic nature of its non-linear source and some controversial casting choices.