‘The Odyssey’ earns Christopher Nolan’s biggest global opening

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has delivered the biggest opening weekend of the filmmaker’s career, grossing $264.1 million worldwide in its first three days in cinemas.

According to Universal Pictures, the mythological epic earned $124.5 million in North America, with the remaining $139.6 million coming from international markets. The global debut surpasses the $249 million opening of 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises”, making it Nolan’s strongest worldwide launch to date.

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While “The Odyssey” ranks behind “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” in terms of domestic opening weekend, its international performance pushed the film to a new career milestone for the Oscar-winning director. Adjusted for inflation, however, Nolan’s two Batman films still retain the edge.

The strong debut has also outpaced the opening of Nolan’s previous film, “Oppenheimer”, which went on to earn $915 million worldwide and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

With positive audience reception and strong word of mouth, industry observers believe “The Odyssey” could become Nolan’s third film to cross the $1 billion mark globally after “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”.

Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, following the legendary king’s perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Produced on a reported budget of $250 million, the film has received an A CinemaScore from opening-night audiences and currently holds a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Premium large-format screenings have also driven the film’s success. According to Universal, half of North American moviegoers opted for enhanced-format screenings, with 23% choosing IMAX.

Demand for tickets proved exceptionally strong, with IMAX reporting record-breaking advance sales. More than 50 theatres across North America added overnight screenings between midnight and 7:00am to accommodate audiences, while IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said the company generated $50 million in advance ticket sales — the highest presales in its history.

Alongside Damon, “The Odyssey” features an ensemble cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o.