The Odyssey Box Office Passes $1.7 Billion Worldwide, Becoming Universal’s Biggest Film Ever

The Odyssey has crossed $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office, cementing its place as Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film and the biggest release in Universal Pictures history. The Homer adaptation, which opened on 17 July 2026, has kept climbing for more than two months, and Universal has now become the first studio to pass $5 billion globally this year, with The Odyssey leading the way.

How It Got Here

The Odyssey began with a record. Its $264.1 million global debut was Nolan’s biggest ever, ahead of The Dark Knight Rises’ $249 million, and its second weekend fell just 30% in North America, a strong hold for a nearly three-hour R-rated epic.

Box Office at a Glance

The domestic and international split reflects figures reported when the film crossed $1.7 billion, with international markets accounting for roughly 65% of the total. Totals differ slightly between trackers and keep rising, so the figure above is a range rather than a single number.

Records Along the Way

The film has collected a long list of records on its run:

• Highest-grossing R-rated film ever, passing Deadpool & Wolverine’s $1.33 billion.
• Universal’s highest-grossing film ever, overtaking Jurassic World, a record that had stood for more than a decade.
• IMAX’s highest-grossing release ever, with the format’s 70mm run extended through 30 September.
• First non-sequel, non-remake Hollywood film to pass $1 billion internationally since Avatar in 2009.
• Ranked 12th on the all-time worldwide list when Universal announced its Jurassic World milestone, and the third highest-grossing non-franchise film ever.

Its overseas run has also been driven by strong openings in major markets, including a China release on 14 August, after the film had already passed the billion-dollar mark.

Where It Stands in 2026

The Odyssey is one of five 2026 releases to pass $1 billion, alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Toy Story 5, Michael, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It trails only Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has passed $2.3 billion, on this year’s chart. Three of the five billion-dollar films were distributed by Universal, which has now collected $1.788 billion domestically and $3.218 billion internationally this year, helping it become the first studio to reach $5 billion in 2026.

The Film Behind the Numbers

Written and directed by Nolan, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, and John Leguizamo. It earned an A CinemaScore and a 95% Rotten Tomatoes critics score at launch, and its success has put it at the centre of early awards-season talk. Nolan’s films have now grossed a combined total of more than $7 billion worldwide, with Oppenheimer’s $975.8 million previously his nearest approach to the billion-dollar mark before this release.

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