Christopher Nolan's latest epic, The Odyssey, has defied online backlash to set a new personal box office record, earning $264.1 million worldwide in its opening weekend. The film, based on Homer's ancient poem, surpassed the $249 million debut of 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, which remains Nolan's highest-grossing film at over $1 billion.
International dominance and record-breaking numbers
The film also achieved Nolan's largest international opening, grossing $139.6 million overseas across 73 territories and 25,600 screens. That figure outpaces both The Dark Knight Rises and 2023's Oppenheimer. The Odyssey became Nolan's biggest opener in 48 countries, including France, Italy, Brazil, and India, and ranks as the second-best R-rated international opening behind Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).
Universal Pictures reported that The Odyssey is the studio's biggest-ever opening in 11 markets. Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution, said: 'With The Odyssey, we had the extraordinary opportunity to unite moviegoers worldwide around a story that has resonated across cultures for centuries. Christopher Nolan's passion, vision and unique cinematic voice consistently drive anticipation and attendance on a truly global scale.'
Budget and financial success
Thanks to its strong debut, the film has already broken even. Its production budget was $250 million, with marketing costs reported at $125 million, bringing the total to $375 million before the theatre cut. The record-breaking opening ensures the film is profitable.
The film stars Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron. It is the first movie shot entirely on IMAX's 70mm film cameras.
Critical acclaim and review bombing
Critics have praised The Odyssey as a 'masterpiece' and the best release of the year. The Daily Telegraph called it a 'fearsome and trailblazing machine of a movie,' The Independent hailed it as a 'blockbuster of literally unprecedented scale,' and The New York Times commended Nolan for 'turning a 3,000-year-old poem into a smart, thoughtful film with Old Hollywood allure.' Metro's five-star review described it as 'gripping' and 'timeless.'
Despite a 95% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88 on Metacritic, the film has suffered apparent 'review-bombing' online. While 37% of RT users gave it top marks, 13.9% gave it the lowest possible score, suggesting coordinated sabotage. Similar attacks hit Disney's 2023 The Little Mermaid over Halle Bailey's casting.
Casting backlash and director's response
Before release, The Odyssey faced backlash for casting Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy. Some X users, including Elon Musk, accused Nolan of 'p***ing on Homer's grave.' Nyong'o responded: 'This is a mythological story. I'm very supportive of Chris' intention with it. Our cast is representative of the world. I'm not spending my time thinking of a defence.'
Elliot Page's casting as Sinon also drew transphobic criticism after he came out as trans in 2021. Nolan defended Page, telling Rolling Stone: 'We worked on Inception some years ago. I felt with his character in The Odyssey, he brings something really special to it. You're looking to put a face on the tragedy of war. And I think he did an incredible job.'
The Odyssey is in cinemas now.
