Box Office Report: The Odyssey Becomes Universal’s Highest-Grossing Release

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan has seen additional box office success this weekend, with his thirteenth feature film, The Odyssey, landing another milestone, this time with Universal Pictures. The film stars Matt Damon as the Greek warrior Odysseus as he embarks on a tiresome, challenging, and lengthy journey home to his wife, played by Anne Hathaway, and child, played by Tom Holland. Zendaya, Himesh Patel, Robert Pattinson,  Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron round out the star-studded cast.

The Odyssey has seen nothing but critical and commercial success since its summer release and has now reached a new achievement in becoming Universal’s highest-grossing release. The weekend’s ticket sales saw the film accumulate a new total of $1.684 billion in global ticket sales, meaning Nolan’s Greek epic adaptation has beaten the previous record holder, 2015’s Jurassic World, for Universal’s highest-grossing release, by $7 million.

The fantasy epic has reached US ticket sales amounting to $601 million, alongside international ones of $1.084 billion, landing itself as 2026’s second highest-grossing release, behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s $2.451 billion ($935 million in US and $1.516 billion internationally) and ahead of Toy Story 5’s $1.141 billion ($480 million in US and $661 million internationally).

“What Chris and Emma [Thomas] have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history,” NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley stated. “A generational event that galvanizes moviegoing itself.”

The Odyssey is also now Nolan’s highest-grossing release as well as one of his most expensive to date, having surpassed 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises’ $1.085 billion, as well as the BFI’s biggest release and the biggest domestic debut weekend in IMAX 70mm ($6.3 million). It is also the biggest R-Rated movie ever made, beating Deadpool and Wolverine’s $1.33 billion.

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Combined with the previously mentioned Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Nolan’s box office triumph has also helped star Holland, who also takes the titular role in Brand New Day, become the biggest at the box office. Add on the box office success of 2022’s action-adventure video game adaptation, Uncharted, grossing $407.1 million ($148.6 million in the US and $258.5 million overseas), Holland’s whole filmography now holds $15.5 billion in box office value.

The actor has now taken the title of a fellow Marvel star, Zoe Saldaña, who previously obtained the record thanks to her total box office gross of $15.468 billion from 2009’s Avatar’s $2.924 billion, 2022’s Avatar: The Way of the Water’s $2.334 billion, 2017’s Avengers: Infinity War’s $2.048 billion and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame’s $2.8 billion.

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Ros Tibbs

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Ros is a film and lit graduate writing news and reviews at The People's Magazine. She also writes long-form film theory, film history, analytical or curated recommendations pieces on other platforms.

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