‘The Odyssey’ Just Passed a Pixar Giant, and Christopher Nolan’s Epic Isn’t Finished Yet

Summer blockbusters usually burn bright and disappear within a month. Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey‘ box office run has been the exception, and it has kept collecting milestones long after most tentpoles have left theaters. Ten weekends into its release, the adaptation of Homer’s epic poem is still climbing the all-time charts.

The film arrived in theaters on July 17 with enormous expectations. Nolan’s last film, ‘Oppenheimer,’ earned $976M worldwide and won seven Oscars, so audiences and exhibitors knew this one would be big. It was also the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and it carries a reported $250M budget, the largest of Nolan’s career.

Now it has reached another landmark, this time on the domestic charts. ‘The Odyssey’ has officially passed ‘Incredibles 2’ to become the 17th highest-grossing film of all time at the domestic box office. It earned $4.9M in its 10th weekend, a drop of just 35.4%, which pushes its North American total to $609.8M. A final run of $620M to $630M is currently projected.

That domestic total has been built on remarkable legs. The film opened to $123.5M, Universal’s biggest R-rated opening ever, and then fell just 27% in its second weekend, when most films that open above $100M drop by 50% or more. It has since passed ‘The Dark Knight’ to become Nolan’s highest-grossing film domestically, and it reclaimed the No. 1 spot globally in its eighth weekend.

Premium formats have played a huge role. IMAX extended the film’s 70mm run through Sept. 30, stretching it to 11 weeks, and the film has become IMAX’s highest-grossing release ever with more than $457M worldwide. The previous record-holder was ‘Avatar,’ which had earned $271M.

‘THE ODYSSEY’ has officially surpassed ‘INCREDIBLES 2’ to become the 17th highest-grossing film of all time at the domestic box office.

It earned $4.9M in its 10th weekend, down just 35.4%, and has now reached $609.8M in the US. A $620M–$630M final run is currently projected.… pic.twitter.com/vGGwZzaagU

— Christopher Nolan Archives (@NolanAnalyst) September 20, 2026

Worldwide, ‘The Odyssey’ has grossed $1.684B, which ranks 12th on the all-time chart. It is Universal’s highest-grossing release of all time, having passed ‘Jurassic World,’ and Nolan’s biggest hit ever. Domestically, it sits second among Universal films behind ‘Jurassic World’ at $653.4M.

The film has also rewritten the R-rated record book. It is now the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, beating ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and its $1.33B total. Deadline also reported that it became the first Hollywood non-sequel and non-remake to cross $1B at the international box office since ‘Avatar’ in 2009.

A film by Christopher Nolan shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Watch The Odyssey trailer and experience the film in theaters 7 17 26. pic.twitter.com/Lqap9dFI09

— The Odyssey Movie (@odysseymovie) December 22, 2025

Matt Damon leads a stacked cast as Odysseus, with Tom Holland as his son Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Robert Pattinson as Antinous. Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal round out an ensemble that helped make the film a must-see event. Critics have praised its craftsmanship and scale, although some noted it can be less nimble emotionally or thematically.

That mix of acclaim and commercial success has fueled talk about the coming awards season. Deadline’s early predictions discussed how the Academy might respond to Nolan’s epic, and it noted the film’s chances in several categories. Whether that translates into nominations remains to be seen, but the box office numbers give the film plenty of momentum.

With the domestic total at $609.8M, the next few weekends will determine how close the film gets to the $630M end of its projected range. It would still need to grow much further to challenge ‘Jurassic World’ as Universal’s domestic leader. Even so, moving past a Pixar mainstay is a notable achievement for an R-rated, nearly three-hour epic.

That performance would have seemed unlikely for a sword-and-sandal film based on a 3,000-year-old poem. Instead, Nolan has delivered one of the most durable theatrical runs in years. It also adds to a summer that has been remarkably strong for the box office.

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