Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, becoming the director's first film since 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" to hit that milestone — and his highest-grossing release ever, surpassing that film's $1.08 billion total as well as 2009's "The Dark Knight" at just over $1 billion.
The nearly three-hour, R-rated adaptation of Homer's ancient poem, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, has now taken in roughly $429.65 million domestically and $578.8 million internationally after three weeks in theaters, becoming the fifth film of 2026 to reach ten figures worldwide, following "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "Toy Story 5," "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and "Michael."
A Career-Best Opening That Kept Growing
The film opened with $263.7 million worldwide, Nolan's biggest global launch of his career, and roughly half its early audience skewed between 18 and 34 years old — a notably young turnout for a nearly three-hour literary adaptation that had initially drawn skepticism given its length and rating. Made on an estimated $250 million budget, the biggest of Nolan's career, the film was shot entirely on IMAX's 70mm cameras, a first for any feature.
IMAX's Best Month Ever
That format bet has paid off handsomely for IMAX Corporation, which reported the highest-grossing month in its more than 50-year history in July, pulling in $257 million globally — 47% above its previous monthly record — largely on the back of "The Odyssey." The film has already delivered more than 24% of its own global total through IMAX screens alone, and IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said the film's trajectory has been difficult to predict even for the company itself.
A Blockbuster Summer for Hollywood
"The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" have combined for more than $2.1 billion at the global box office between them, and industry watchers say the pair are pushing Hollywood toward a domestic box office total above $4 billion for only the second time since the pandemic — a mark last hit in 2023 thanks to "Barbenheimer."
With the film continuing to hold strong in its third weekend and IMAX 70mm showtimes reportedly sold out into September, analysts expect "The Odyssey" to keep climbing well into the fall.