The Odyssey box office hits $87 million in second weekend
Christopher Nolan’s film fell just 30% in North America and reached an estimated $639.6 million worldwide, studio estimates showed.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
The Odyssey box office run held firm in its second weekend, taking in an estimated $87 million at North American theaters, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The result matters because a 30% second-weekend drop is unusually small for a major blockbuster, showing that Christopher Nolan’s film is still drawing strong repeat demand.
The weekend also gave Nolan his strongest second frame in domestic theaters without adjusting for inflation. Rentrak said his previous high was “The Dark Knight,” which made $75.2 million in its second weekend in 2008.
Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends, said the $87 million total would stand as a strong opening weekend for many films. He said the hold reflected broad audience interest in Nolan’s latest large-scale release.
How much has The Odyssey made worldwide?
“The Odyssey” has reached an estimated $639.6 million globally, including $128.3 million from international theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates. Dergarabedian said theaters in multiple markets have been adding showtimes to meet demand.
Premium screens continue to drive a large share of the business. IMAX said its screens generated $48 million worldwide during the weekend, while 70 mm IMAX locations brought in $5.2 million.
The 70 mm IMAX footprint remains limited, with 41 such screens worldwide, according to IMAX. The company said most of those showtimes are sold out through September, underscoring how much Nolan’s film is benefiting from format-specific demand.
“The Odyssey” faced little major new competition in either of its first two weekends. Even so, Rentrak said a second weekend at this level is rare for a movie that opened above $100 million, and for an R-rated film it ranks behind only “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The field changes next weekend with the arrival of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which also stars Tom Holland and Zendaya, both of whom appear in “The Odyssey.” Some analysts cited by Rentrak expect the new “Spider-Man” film could deliver the year’s biggest opening weekend, though Nolan’s film is set to keep most IMAX screens for weeks.
Disney releases filled the next two domestic spots. “Moana” earned an estimated $10.5 million, while “Toy Story 5” followed with $10 million.
“Toy Story 5” also crossed $1 billion worldwide in its fifth weekend, according to studio estimates. Its total includes $448 million from domestic theaters and $573 million internationally, making it the sixth Pixar release to reach that mark.
Rentrak’s estimated domestic top 10 for Friday through Sunday in the United States and Canada was led by “The Odyssey” with $87 million, followed by “Moana” at $10.5 million, “Toy Story 5” at $10 million, “Minions & Monsters” at $9.7 million and “Hadestown” at $9.6 million.
The rest of the list included “The Invite” and “Evil Dead Burn,” each with $2.6 million, followed by “Young Washington” with $2 million, “Motor City” with $1.6 million and “Obsession” with $1.5 million. Final domestic figures are due Monday, according to Rentrak.
For the broader market, Rentrak said the year’s box office is running about 10% ahead of last year. The summer season has now topped $3 billion; before the pandemic, summer regularly exceeded $4 billion, and the only post-pandemic summer to do so was 2023, the year of “Barbenheimer.”
Dergarabedian said reaching $4 billion again would be difficult but possible if August performs strongly. He pointed to the staying power of “The Odyssey” and the upcoming “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” as the key drivers.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.