The Odyssey, the latest film from director Christopher Nolan, has been one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The movie opened in theaters on Jul. 17, 2026, earned rave reviews from critics, and currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though the movie was a nearly three-hour R-rated epic, it defied every tracking expectation and opened to $124.5 million.
In its opening weekend, The Odyssey has already outgrossed the domestic box office totals of movies such as Supergirl, Scream 7, Mortal Kombat II, Masters of the Universe, and Moana. While it might have fallen short of some records, it still broke six of them. I’ve listed every record The Odyssey broke over its opening weekend.
‘The Odyssey’ Had the Biggest Preview Screening of 2026
The Odyssey had been marketed as a cinematic event, and first tickets went on sale a year before the film’s release. Since demand was high, it’s no surprise that The Odyssey took the record for the biggest preview screening of 2026. The Odyssey grossed $17.6 million in Thursday night previews alone, just narrowly beating out Toy Story 5‘s $17.5 million from just one month prior.
‘The Odyssey’ Was the Biggest R-Rated Opening of 2026
R-rated horror movies have done exceptionally well at the box office, as seen by the staying power of Obsession and the breakout success of Backrooms. Backrooms set a high bar for an R-rated movie in 2026 and opened to $81.4 million. However, its reign as the biggest R-rated opening of 2026 was as short-lived as The Odyssey has now claimed that spot. Nolan’s epic will likely hold onto this record in 2026.
It Was the Biggest R-Rated Opening Weekend in Universal Pictures History
The Odyssey has the fourth-biggest R-rated opening weekend, behind Deadpool & Wolverine ($211.4 million), Deadpool ($132.4 million), and Deadpool 2 ($125.5 million). However, it did take the record for Universal Pictures’ biggest R-rated opening weekend, which was previously held by Fifty Shades of Grey ($85.1 million). It is also the first R-rated Universal Pictures movie to gross more than $100 million in its opening weekend.
It Had the Best Opening Weekend for a Sword-and-Sandals Epic
Among its many records, The Odyssey also set a new bar for the sword-and-sandals genre. This kind of film typically denotes historical, mythological, or biblical epics set in the Greco-Roman era up to the Middle Ages. The biggest opening weekend in the subgenre over the past 19 years was 300, which opened to $70.8 million in March 2007.
‘The Odyssey’ Had the Biggest Opening for Matt Damon
For nearly two decades, The Bourne Ultimatum was Matt Damon’s biggest opening weekend, with $69.2 million. The Odyssey has easily taken the record. Even after adjusting for inflation, The Bourne Ultimatum‘s opening would be about $111 million, which is still below The Odyssey’s opening. This is also Matt Damon’s first starring movie to open above $100 million.
It’s the Biggest Opening Weekend for a Live-Action Film In 2026
Nolan’s latest film is the third-biggest opening weekend of 2026, behind Toy Story 5 ($159.6 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131.7 million). However, The Odyssey is the biggest opening for a live-action film in 2026, beating Michael, which opened to $97.2 million. The Odyssey also became the first live-action movie of 2026 to gross over $100 million in its opening weekend.
The Film Is the Biggest Worldwide Opening for a Christopher Nolan Film
While The Odyssey’s $124.5 million domestic opening was the third-biggest in Christopher Nolan’s career, behind The Dark Knight ($158 million) and The Dark Knight Rises ($169 million), the film did break the director’s worldwide record. The Odyssey grossed $264 million worldwide, beating the record previously set by The Dark Knight Rises, which made $249.9 million back in 2012. The Odyssey was the biggest opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s career in 48 countries, including France, India, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Poland, and the Netherlands, proving how the director has become a global brand trusted by audiences the world over.
- Release Date
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July 17, 2026
- Runtime
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172 Minutes
