Christopher Nolan‘s ‘The Odyssey’ hit the North American box office to create one of the biggest and most historic hits for the director.According to trade reports, the film grossed $124.5 million in domestic ticket sales and $139.6 million from overseas, marking a better opening than ‘Oppenheimer’ and marking Nolan’s opening since 2012’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, which earned $249 million at the time of its release.Nolan has transformed his unique office with a global exposure unlike any other. Few living filmmakers can imitate Homer’s most impressive poem. But in a Hollywood that loves creative freedom, Nolan has turned one of the world’s oldest novels into an unexpected summer blockbuster.
‘The Odyssey’ becomes the cheapest R movie ever
The production of Universal was not a small gamble on Nolan, from the ‘Oppenheimer’ who won the best in 2023. With a production budget of USD 250 million, it is among the most expensive movies ever made. Universal is spending $125 million to sell it.
IMAX drives ticket sales for ‘The Odyssey’
But there is no name behind the camera that makes the audience more than Nolan. It was such a hit on ‘The Odyssey’ that IMAX sold tickets for 70 mm screenings a full year in advance. To meet the incredible demand for Nolan’s favorite format, IMAX 70 mm, some theaters added screenings between midnight and 3 a.m. — and sold them out.Marked as Nolan’s first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, the feature drove a significant portion of ticket sales. That includes USD 29.6 million domestically on IMAX and USD 51.8 million worldwide, making it the company’s best weekend ever.IMAX is giving its full screenings to ‘The Odyssey’ for three weeks. Although only 41 IMAX screens can film ‘The Odyssey’ in 70 mm, it took $6.3 million in ticket sales.Since the outbreak, Nolan has been at the forefront of movie revival. His ‘Tenet’ was one of the biggest releases to hit the theaters in 2020. Three years later, ‘Oppenheimer’ and Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ combined to create the signature movie moment of the decade. “Oppenheimer” eventually grossed $975 million worldwide.“The Odyssey” arrived in theaters during the best summer in Hollywood since 2019. Ticket sales are running 10.4% ahead of last year, according to Rentrak. The industry is hoping for a first year of $10 billion at the domestic box office since the pandemic.
‘Spider-Man’ to crash ‘The Odyssey’ party
The only question about “The Odyssey” will be how it fills up the front, as many moviegoers have been circling this week for months. The movie didn’t compete for a new release this weekend, and it won’t next week, either. However, at the end of the month, the film will face new competition with the release of Tom Holland and Zendaya’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ on July 31 (India July 30). This epic film is expected to do well at the box office, and continue its top box office career, crossing USD 1 billion again.
Throwing away conflicts has no visible consequences
“The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and portrays Holland as his son, Telemachus; Anne Hathaway as Penelope; Zendaya as Athena; Robert Pattinson as the suitor Antinous and Charlize Theron as the sea nymph Calypso.Nolan’s casting for the film, including Lupita Nyong’o as Helen and Elliot Page as a soldier, was met with controversy by some critics. Elon Musk called Nolan “scared” of Nyong’o’s performance.But that criticism did little to make ‘The Odyssey’ one of the biggest cultural events of the year. The review (95% new on Rotten Tomatoes) is some of Nolan’s best work. Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore.
‘Moana’ moves to second place
PG-rated movies followed after “The Odyssey.” The Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana.” it landed in a distant second place with $19 million in its third weekend. Following its disappointing launch of $43 million, the latest update dropped 56% in its second weekend. In two weeks it earned $178 million worldwide, a poor result for a film that cost USD 250 million to make.‘Moana’ was followed by Universal’s ‘Minions & Monsters’ and Disney’s ‘Toy Story 5’, both of which grossed over $15 million.
Top 10 movies made by domestic box office
With final domestic figures released Monday, the list includes Friday through Sunday ticket sales in the U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:1. “The Odyssey,” $124.5 million.2. “Moana,” $19 million.3. “Minions & Monsters,” $14.8 million.4. “Toy Story 5,” $14.8 million.5. “Evil Dead Burn,” $5 million.6. “The Call,” $3.9 million.7. “Washington Young,” $3.7 million.8. “Obsession,” $2.5 million.9. “Supergirl,” $1.5 million.10. “Definition Day,” $1.5 million.