"The Odyssey" has successfully set sail. Worldwide, Christopher Nolan's (55) adaptation of Homer's ancient epic grossed 264 million US dollars, according to media reports. With this, "The Odyssey" has already recouped its production budget of approximately 250 million dollars.
"The Odyssey" Exceeds Expectations
124 million dollars came from the North American market. This gave "The Odyssey" the third-best box office opening of the year there. In the US in 2026, only "Toy Story 5" (159 million dollars) and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" (131 million) had better openings. This means: "The Odyssey" achieved the most successful US launch of a non-animated film this year.
With its strong start, "The Odyssey" has exceeded the expectations of production studio Universal Pictures. There, they had anticipated box office receipts between 85 and 100 million US dollars.
Christopher Nolan Misses Personal Record
Despite its dream start: Christopher Nolan has quite clearly missed a personal record with "The Odyssey". That record is held by "The Dark Knight Rises". The final chapter of his Batman trilogy launched in the US in 2012 with 160 million dollars. With that, it had narrowly beaten its predecessor "The Dark Knight" (158 million).
However, Christopher Nolan has outdone his most recent film "Oppenheimer". The portrait of the father of the atomic bomb had launched in the US almost exactly three years ago with 82 million dollars. In 2023, "Oppenheimer" had to share attention with the simultaneously released hit "Barbie". "The Odyssey" had no notable competition.
Matt Damon takes on the lead role of Odysseus in "The Odyssey", Anne Hathaway portrays his wife Penelope, and Tom Holland plays the son Telemachus. Robert Pattinson appears as Antinous, a suitor of Penelope. Zendaya plays the goddess Athena. The cast also includes Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o, among others.
