Christopher Nolan“The Odyssey” took the North American box office by storm, becoming one of the highest-grossing debuts and setting a personal record for the director.According to industry reports, the film grossed an estimated $124.5 million domestically and $139.6 million overseas, making it an even better debut than “Oppenheimer.” It was Nolan’s best debut since “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012, which grossed $249 million at the time.Nolan demonstrated his unique box-office prowess with a distinctive global premiere. Few living filmmakers have been able to make a big-budget, star-studded adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. But in a Hollywood where intellectual property dominates most hits, Nolan turned one of the world’s oldest works of literature into an unlikely summer blockbuster.
‘The Odyssey’ becomes most expensive R-rated movie
Following the 2023 Best Picture winner “Oppenheimer,” Universal Pictures’ production is a big gamble for Nolan. With a production budget of US$250 million, the film is one of the most expensive R-rated movies ever produced. Universal spent about $125 million on marketing.
IMAX drives ‘Odyssey’ ticket sales
But no behind-the-scenes name captivated audiences more than Nolan. The hype for “The Odyssey” was so great that IMAX started selling tickets for about a year in advance for its roughly 70mm showing. To meet the overwhelming demand for Nolan’s preferred format, IMAX 70mm, some theaters added midnight and 3am show times – and all sold out.The format is hailed as Nolan’s first feature film shot entirely using IMAX cameras, driving huge growth at the box office. Among them, IMAX’s domestic box office was US$29.6 million and the global box office was US$51.8 million, creating the best weekend results for the company in history.IMAX will completely dedicate its screens to The Odyssey for three weeks. Although only 41 IMAX screens could show “The Odyssey” in 70mm, they grossed $6.3 million.Nolan has been at the forefront of reviving movies since the pandemic. His “Tenet” was one of the first blockbusters to return to theaters in 2020. Three years later, “Oppenheimer” teamed up with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” to create what is arguably the defining moment of cinema of the decade. “Oppenheimer” ultimately grossed $975 million worldwide.“The Odyssey” opens in Hollywood’s best summer since 2019. According to Rentrak, ticket sales increased 10.4% over last year. The industry predicts that this year’s domestic box office will exceed $10 billion for the first time since the outbreak.
‘Spider-Man’ Will Ruin the ‘Odyssey’ Party
The only question about “The Odyssey” is how far ahead it will go, as many moviegoers have been circling this weekend for months. The film faced no competition from new releases this weekend, and it won’t next weekend. However, at the end of the month, the film will face new competition as Tom Holland and Zendaya’s Spider-Man: New Day is set to hit theaters on July 31 (July 30 in India). The superhero movie is expected to make a splash at the box office and continue its epic run at the box office, crossing the $1 billion mark once again.
Casting controversy has no apparent effect
“The Odyssey” starring Matt Damon As Odysseus, Holland plays his son Telemachus; Anne Hathaway plays Penelope; Zendaya plays Athena; Robert Pattinson plays the suitor Antinous and Charlize Theron plays the sea nymph Calypso.Nolan’s casting in the film, including Lupita Nyong’o as Helen and Elliot Page as a soldier, was controversial to some conservative commentators. Elon Musk called Nolan a “coward” over Nyong’o’s casting.But this criticism had little impact on The Odyssey becoming one of the big screen cultural events of the year. The reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) are among the best of Nolan’s career. Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore.
“Moana” jumps to second place
The PG-rated movie follows “The Odyssey.” Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana” came within a whisker of second place with $19 million in its third weekend. The live-action remake grossed a disappointing $43 million, but fell 56% in its second weekend. In two weeks, the film took in $178 million worldwide, a poor result for a film that cost $250 million to make.“Moana” was followed by Universal Pictures’ “Minions and Monsters” and Disney’s “Toy Story 5,” both of which grossed about $15 million.
Top 10 domestic box office movies
With final domestic data released on Monday, the list takes into account projected ticket sales for U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, according to Rentrak:1. “The Odyssey,” $124.5 million.2. “Moana,” $19 million.3. “Minions and Monsters,” $14.8 million.4. “Toy Story 5,” $14.8 million.5. “Evil Dead Burning,” $5 million.6. “The Invitation,” $3.9 million.7. “Young Washington,” $3.7 million.8. “Obsession,” $2.5 million.9. “Supergirl,” $1.5 million.10. “Disclosure Day,” $1.5 million.