‘The Odyssey’s’ Presale Numbers Are So Big They’re Making ‘Oppenheimer’ Look Like a Warmup Act

Christopher Nolan has built a reputation over the last two decades as one of the few filmmakers who can turn a theatrical release into a full-blown cultural event, and his upcoming mythology epic looks poised to prove that yet again. Weeks before it even reaches theaters, ‘The Odyssey‘ has already become one of the biggest presale stories of the year.

The film, an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, boasts an ensemble that reads more like a festival lineup than a traditional cast list, including Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o. It also carries the distinction of being the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras in the 1570 format, a technical milestone that has only added to the frenzy surrounding its release.

That frenzy has translated directly into ticket sales, and the numbers are staggering. ‘The Odyssey’ has already crossed 150,000 tickets sold in domestic opening weekend presales, more than double the roughly 65,000 tickets Nolan’s own ‘Oppenheimer’ had sold at the same early stage back in 2023, a comparison that carries real weight given that ‘Oppenheimer’ went on to win Best Picture and gross nearly a billion dollars worldwide.

That kind of early momentum has fueled speculation that ‘The Odyssey’ could end up challenging some of Nolan’s own presale records once final numbers are tallied. Industry trackers have pointed to a projected domestic presale total somewhere in the twenty five to thirty million dollar range if the current trajectory holds, though those figures remain fluid ahead of the film’s official release.

The demand has not been limited to the United States either. In the United Kingdom, ‘The Odyssey’ shattered the BFI IMAX venue’s first day on sale record, selling more than 28,000 tickets within twenty four hours for a gross of £750,000, comfortably surpassing the previous benchmark set by ‘Dune: Part Two’ and nearly quadrupling what ‘Oppenheimer’ generated in the same window back in 2023.

AMC theaters in the United States reported similarly overwhelming numbers when Premium Large Format tickets first went on sale, marking the chain’s biggest first day advance ticket sales for a studio release since 2022. The rollout was chaotic enough that AMC CEO Adam Aron publicly apologized for long wait times and website crashes, while confirming the record breaking result and reassuring fans that additional seats remained available.

That level of demand has even spilled into the secondary market, with tickets for limited IMAX 70mm screenings reportedly reselling on platforms like eBay for as much as $1,000, since only a small number of theaters worldwide are equipped to show the film in that format. The scarcity of premium format screenings appears to be intensifying the urgency around securing seats early rather than dampening it.

International markets have shown similarly explosive numbers, with the film reportedly doubling ‘Oppenheimer’s’ early advance booking pace in India despite premium IMAX ticket prices reaching well above typical local rates. Reports have described the demand there as defying standard market trends entirely, with premium seating in major cities selling out almost as quickly as it becomes available.

With ‘The Odyssey’ set to open in theaters worldwide on July 17, the film is shaping up to be one of the defining theatrical events of the year, regardless of how the final numbers ultimately land. Given how much of Nolan’s career has been built on convincing audiences that his films are best experienced on the biggest screen possible, this level of early demand suggests that argument has once again paid off in a big way.

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