‘The Odyssey’ Has Now Passed ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Force Awakens’ Overseas, With No Signs of Slowing Down

Christopher Nolan has never been shy about big swings, but few could have predicted how far ‘The Odyssey‘ would travel. The film’s international box office run has been one of the summer’s defining stories. It has kept its momentum long after most blockbusters have faded from theaters.

The film cost $250 million, making it Nolan’s most expensive movie to date. It opened to $264.1 million worldwide, the biggest start ever for the director. What followed has been unusual for a film of this size, with holds that keep beating expectations.

The second weekend set the tone. Overseas, the film dropped just 3% in holdover markets, which the outlet Screen Daily called the best ever hold for a film that opened above $100 million. It crossed $1 billion worldwide after just 3 weeks, becoming Nolan’s first movie to do so since ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

Overseas, it later became the 17th movie to pass $1 billion internationally. It is also the first Hollywood non-sequel and non-remake to reach that mark since ‘Avatar’ in 2009. On top of that, it was the first R-rated film to get there.

Now, the international total has reached another milestone. According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, the film grossed $13.8 million overseas on its 11th weekend, a drop of just 17.4%. That pushed its overseas total to about $1.13 billion across 82 markets, edging past ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Force Awakens’ to become the 10th-highest-grossing film of all time internationally.

Other trackers point to similar figures. One tally puts the international total at an estimated $1.1347 billion, with the worldwide total at an estimated $1.7512 billion. Combined with $616.5 million domestically, the film sits at $1.75 billion globally.

#ChristopherNolan’s Epic #TheOdyssey beats both #TheLionKing & #TheForceAwakens’ overseas runs #10 highest grossing film of ALL TIME at international #BoxOffice!

LEGENDARY 13.8M on 11th weekend overseas, just a -17.4% drop, for 1.13B intl. cume over 82 intl. markets, beating… pic.twitter.com/e5PAFmjph2

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) September 27, 2026

The milestones are stacking fast. ‘The Odyssey’ is now Nolan’s highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, and the highest-grossing film distributed by Universal. It also ranks as the eleventh-highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

Its previous marks also look small by comparison. Nolan’s earlier best abroad and at home came from ‘Oppenheimer’ at $975.8 million and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at $1.085 billion. Both have now been left far behind.

Part of the film’s endurance comes from the format it was built for. It is the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and it has become the highest-grossing film in IMAX history with more than $457 million worldwide. IMAX also extended its 70mm run through the end of September, giving the film extra runway.

That premium-format demand has helped it withstand a crowded marketplace. Even with new releases arriving every week, the film has kept posting small weekend drops. Critics and audiences have also been on its side, with a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and a 97% score on the Popcornmeter.

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

The next question is how high it can go. Fernando says the film is eyeing a run of $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion globally, calling the 1.8 billion mark all but locked. The IMAX extensions in several markets are a big reason for that optimism.

There is a caveat, though. The film has to hold on as new premium-format releases arrive, and its weekend grosses are now shrinking in absolute terms. Even so, a run this consistent suggests a strong finish.

It is also a story about original filmmaking. In an era dominated by sequels, a standalone Homer adaptation led by Matt Damon has turned into a global phenomenon. Whatever the final total, the numbers are already historic.

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