Universal Pictures reported on Sunday that director Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" earned $264.1 million in global ticket sales during its opening weekend. The total included $124.5 million from theaters in the United States and Canada, according to the studio. The film, which stars Matt Damon and is based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer, had a production budget of $250 million.
According to Rentrak, "The Odyssey" led both domestic and global box office charts for the period. Universal reported that 50% of the audience in the U.S. and Canada was between the ages of 18 and 34. The film received an "A" grade from CinemaScore based on opening-night surveys and currently holds a 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the U.S. and Canada, half of the moviegoers viewed the film in enhanced formats, with IMAX screenings accounting for 23% of the domestic total. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond stated the company recorded $50 million in advance ticket sales, which he noted as a record for the firm. To accommodate demand, over 50 North American IMAX theaters scheduled screenings between midnight and 7 a.m.
Adjusted for inflation, "The Odyssey" represents Nolan’s third-highest global opening, trailing "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) and "The Dark Knight" (2008). The film follows Nolan's 2023 release "Oppenheimer," which earned several Academy Awards. Universal executive Jim Orr attributed the performance to broad market interest in the director’s work.