The Odyssey to break box-office record set by Oppenheimer | Films | Entertainment
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is on course to surpass the North American box office total of his Oscar-winning drama Oppenheimer just 13 days after opening in cinemas.
The fantasy epic, based on Homer’s classic tale and starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, has been met with widespread critical acclaim and is already being tipped as a major awards contender. Alongside Damon, the ensemble cast includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.
The film’s synopsis reads: “The Odyssey follows Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, sirens, and the nymph Calypso, while attempting to reunite with his wife, Penelope.”
After earning $14.7 million across the US and Canada on its second Monday, the film is projected to add more than $16 million on Tuesday, taking its domestic total to around $320.1 million. If forecasts hold, it will pass the $330 million mark by the end of Wednesday, overtaking Oppenheimer, which finished its 595-day North American theatrical run with just over $330 million.
Released in 2023, Oppenheimer went on to gross $975.8 million worldwide and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan.
The Odyssey has already delivered the biggest opening weekend of Nolan’s career, debuting with $123.5 million in North America and $264 million worldwide. Earlier figures also showed it earning $303 million globally in its first week, outperforming both Oppenheimer ($230 million) and The Dark Knight ($260 million) over the same period.
The film has also set a new opening-weekend record at London’s BFI IMAX, beating previous benchmarks set by Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Oppenheimer.
If current projections are met, The Odyssey will become Nolan’s third highest-grossing film in North America, behind only The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. It has also become Matt Damon’s highest-grossing leading role at the North American box office.
Despite online criticism surrounding parts of the film’s casting, audience demand has remained exceptionally strong, with some IMAX tickets reportedly being resold for as much as £300.
The Odyssey is now showing in cinemas.
