Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing IMAX Release of All Time

Christopher Nolan has always had a close creative relationship with IMAX, using the format’s massive screens and unmatched clarity to elevate his films for over a decade. That partnership reached an entirely new level with ‘The Odyssey,’ which became the first feature ever shot entirely with IMAX cameras, a technical milestone that set the stage for the film’s box office run from the very beginning.

Since its July 17 release, the sword-and-sandal epic has continued shattering expectations, crossing $1.1 billion worldwide to become Nolan’s highest-grossing film ever, surpassing ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at $1.085 billion. That achievement alone would have been enough to cap off a historic run, but the film’s performance within premium formats has proven even more remarkable.

‘The Odyssey’ has now officially become IMAX’s highest-grossing release of all time, generating $289.3 million globally from the format and overtaking 2009’s ‘Avatar,’ which previously held the record with $271 million before adjusting for inflation. That milestone arrived during the film’s fourth weekend in theaters, with IMAX screenings alone adding $52 million to the film’s global total, accounting for nearly half of the $110 million the movie earned that weekend.

Of that $289.3 million IMAX total, $147.3 million has come from North America, making it the format’s biggest domestic release ever, while international markets have contributed $141.8 million and counting, with China and Japan releases still ahead. Notably, the film’s IMAX 70mm screenings, Nolan’s preferred viewing format, have contributed $37.5 million from just 41 locations worldwide, with many of those theaters selling out screenings well into September.

That IMAX dominance has continued even as ‘The Odyssey’ shares premium screens with fellow blockbuster ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ which has grossed $42.4 million on IMAX itself while racing toward $1.67 billion worldwide. Despite that competition for screen space, ‘The Odyssey’ has managed to keep expanding its IMAX footprint, with the format proving essential to sustaining the film’s momentum well past its opening weeks.

The film’s overall box office performance has been equally impressive outside of IMAX specifically. With $461 million domestically and $643 million internationally, ‘The Odyssey’ now ranks as the second-highest-grossing R-rated release of all time both domestically and globally, trailing only 2024’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’

What makes these milestones especially significant is that ‘The Odyssey’ isn’t anywhere close to winding down its theatrical run. The film has yet to open in China, where IMAX operates roughly 800 screens, and early preview screenings there have already generated $6.3 million ahead of the film’s full release in the market.

Universal is banking heavily on the film’s status as a global cinematic event, built around one of humanity’s oldest and most recognizable stories, to make ‘The Odyssey’ just as significant a theatrical draw in China as it’s proven to be across the rest of the world. With that market and Japan’s release still to come, the film’s IMAX total, and its overall global box office haul, both appear likely to climb even further before its run concludes.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!