'The Odyssey' earns $264 million worldwide in blockbuster debut

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has made a powerful debut at the global box office, earning more than $264 million during its opening weekend and delivering one of the biggest launches of 2026.

According to Variety, the epic adaptation of Homer's classic tale collected $124.5 million across 3,919 theaters in the United States, while adding $139.6 million from international markets for a worldwide total exceeding $264 million.

The impressive performance marks the third-biggest domestic opening of 2026, trailing only Toy Story 5 ($159 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million).

The film also represents the biggest global opening of Nolan's career, surpassing the launches of The Dark Knight Rises ($249 million) and The Dark Knight ($198 million), both without inflation adjustments.

Released worldwide on July 17, The Odyssey serves as Nolan's follow-up to his Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer.

The movie stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, whose decade-long journey home after the Trojan War forms the heart of Homer's ancient Greek epic.

The star-studded cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson.

The film's strong opening had been widely anticipated after tickets for 70mm IMAX screenings sold out well before release.

Preview screenings on July 16 generated $17.6 million, narrowly surpassing Toy Story 5's preview total of $17.5 million to record the best preview numbers of the year.

Critics have also embraced the film, which currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many praising Nolan's ambitious adaptation and large-scale visual storytelling.

The Odyssey is now playing in theaters worldwide.