Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has crossed $1 billion at the international box office, and the run is far from over — roughly four more weeks of theatrical play remain.
Worldwide, the total sits at $1.59 billion. That makes Nolan’s adaptation of the ancient Greek epic the biggest earner of his career and only the 17th film in history to pass $1 billion internationally. The two figures are worth keeping apart: global box office adds up every territory, while international counts only what’s earned outside North America.
The company it keeps
Here’s the stat that deserves a second look. No standalone film — no sequel, no remake — has hit that mark since James Cameron’s Avatar back in 2009. Every other member of the club arrived carrying franchise history: Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. All of them sequels or续 entries in existing series.
Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution at Universal Pictures International, framed it this way in a statement: “From its record-breaking opening to this historic milestone, The Odyssey has captivated audiences around the world. We are incredibly proud to have partnered with Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and everyone at Syncopy to share this visionary theatrical experience with audiences everywhere.”
Ryan Reynolds took the loss gracefully
Back in late August, the film knocked Deadpool & Wolverine off its perch as the highest-grossing R-rated release ever. Reynolds’ answer was a video mashup, cutting together Deadpool’s brawl with Wolverine inside the Honda Odyssey and footage of Odysseus and his crew making their way through the forest of giants.
Speaking to Variety, he added: “Obviously, [The Odyssey] is an incredible, incredible movie. Christopher Nolan literally breathes the rarest air on Earth. He’s a singular filmmaker. I mean, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, who’s clearly batting a thousand stars with Zendaya. I just love that people are going to the movie theaters. I don’t even care why or for what reason. Just go to the movie theaters. There’s no better shared experience.”
The 70mm window keeps getting pushed
There's still time to watch it in the format Nolan designed it for. The 70mm IMAX engagements now run through September 30, extended because so few venues anywhere on the planet can actually project the format. It’s the second such extension, each one padding a run that was already performing without any assistance.
Its summer companion was Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which overtook Avengers: Endgame to claim the domestic all-time gross record and became the first Spider-Man title to reach $2 billion theatrically. Two releases, a single season, both rewriting the record books from opposite ends.
Our review scored The Odyssey an 8 out of 10. Worldwide, the theaters equipped to present it as intended number in the dozens — and their clock stops on September 30.