Highlights
- The Odyssey opened to £196 million worldwide in its first weekend.
- The epic surpassed the opening weekend of Oppenheimer and delivered Christopher Nolan's biggest non-Batman debut.
- The UK and Ireland led international markets with a £12.9 million opening.
Christopher Nolan has delivered another box office triumph, with The Odyssey opening to £196 million worldwide in its first weekend. The adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic has outperformed the opening weekend of Oppenheimer, giving the filmmaker his strongest global debut outside the Batman franchise.
The film, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya, follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on his decade-long journey home after the Trojan War.
The Odyssey exceeds expectations at the box office
Released on Friday by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey collected £92.4 million in North America alone, making it the third-biggest domestic opening of 2026 behind Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The result comfortably exceeded Universal's projected opening of £74.2 million. Despite its 18-rated equivalent R classification in North America, which limits younger audiences, the film attracted strong attendance. Men made up 56 per cent of cinemagoers, while more than three-quarters of ticket buyers were over 25. Half of the audience was aged between 18 and 34.
Internationally, the UK and Ireland delivered the biggest overseas opening, contributing £12.9 million during the first three days.
Christopher Nolan's biggest non-Batman opening
The film has also surpassed the opening weekend of Oppenheimer, which went on to earn approximately £724 million worldwide.
Produced on a reported budget of £185 million, The Odyssey marks Nolan's biggest opening outside the Batman franchise. His previous best was The Dark Knight Rises, which opened to around £185 million worldwide in 2012 (approximately £269 million when adjusted for inflation).
The film has received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers describing it as one of Nolan's finest achievements.
IMAX screenings fuel strong demand
The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely using IMAX cameras, bringing audiences a large-format cinematic experience throughout.
The film opened in more than 73 markets across 12,800 locations and 26,000 screens worldwide, including 440 IMAX screens. Premium large-format venues accounted for 53 per cent of North American ticket sales.
Demand was particularly high at London's BFI IMAX, where opening weekend screenings sold out, with some fans reportedly arriving as early as midnight and 4am to secure seats.
Nolan plans a break after completing the epic
Reflecting on the scale of the production, Nolan said it would be "at least" three years before he directs another film.
"I'm so desperate to have a period I have nothing to do. It feels so long since I had a time like that... At the moment, all I can see is just trying to get through this, put the film out and then take a little break."
Alongside Matt Damon, the film also stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton and Charlize Theron.
