Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Scores Biggest Global Opening of His Career

(WS News) – Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” stormed into theaters this weekend with a $124.5 million domestic opening, the biggest live-action debut of the year in North America and the largest global launch of Nolan’s career.

The Universal Pictures epic, a retelling of Homer’s classical Greek myth starring Matt Damon, pulled in $264.1 million worldwide, edging past “The Dark Knight Rises” as Nolan’s biggest-ever global opening. The film’s $139.6 million international haul across 73 markets also marked the biggest overseas debut of Nolan’s career, and set records for Universal in eleven markets.

Premium formats drove much of the film’s success, with large-format screens accounting for 53 percent of its domestic total and IMAX alone contributing roughly a quarter of ticket sales. Shot entirely on IMAX cameras, the film became the platform’s latest showcase title, with IMAX dedicating its global network to the release for three weeks and scheduling round-the-clock 70mm screenings to meet demand. The film earned an A CinemaScore from opening-weekend audiences and a 95 percent approval rating from critics, Nolan’s highest career score on the Tomatometer.

The result marks Nolan’s third-best domestic opening of his career, trailing only his Batman sequels, and comes three years after “Oppenheimer” became a cultural phenomenon on its way to the best picture Oscar. Industry analysts say the film’s strong word-of-mouth and near-total sellouts in premium formats point to a long theatrical run, with the film still awaiting release in South Korea, China and Japan in the coming weeks.