Nolan's Greek Epic Storms the Box Office Before It Even Opens
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has arrived — and the numbers suggest it may have been worth the wait. The film earned $17.6 million in Thursday preview screenings, the highest preview total of the year, narrowly edging out Toy Story 5's $17.5 million result [1].
Analysts had projected an opening weekend in the $90 million–$100 million range, but the strength of the preview figure has raised the possibility that those estimates are conservative [1]. If the film clears $100 million over the full weekend, it would become only the third release this year to reach that threshold at launch, joining Toy Story 5 ($159 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million) [1].
A Benchmark Moment for Nolan
For context, Oppenheimer — Nolan's previous film and the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture — opened to $10.5 million in previews before powering to an $82 million debut weekend and an eventual $975 million worldwide gross [1]. The Odyssey's preview haul is already 67 percent higher than that benchmark, a striking leap even accounting for the different competitive environment.
The comparison matters because Oppenheimer benefited from the cultural tailwind of "Barbenheimer," opening the same weekend as Barbie and generating enormous mutual buzz [1]. The Odyssey appears to be creating its own momentum entirely on its own terms.
Should the film reach or surpass $100 million this weekend, it would also represent Nolan's biggest opening since The Dark Knight Rises collected $160 million in 2012 [1].
The IMAX Factor
One driver of that momentum is format. The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, a distinction that has triggered an unusually intense scramble for large-format seats [1]. According to reporting, fans are crossing state lines, attending 2 a.m. screenings, and — in at least some anecdotal cases — reportedly delaying personal milestones to secure tickets to IMAX showings [1].
The pattern echoes what happened with Oppenheimer, which helped cement premium-format screenings as a meaningful box-office driver. With The Odyssey, that dynamic appears to have intensified further, with IMAX demand described as far outpacing available supply [1].
The Financial Stakes
The film carries an enormous financial burden. Its production budget stands at $250 million, with an additional $125 million in marketing costs, making The Odyssey both one of the most expensive films released this year and the most expensive R-rated film ever made [1]. Combined, the studio needs a substantial and sustained theatrical run to reach profitability.
That need for longevity is precisely where critical reception becomes critical. At the time of writing, The Odyssey holds a 96 percent "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes [1] — a score that, if it holds, mirrors the kind of word-of-mouth that kept Oppenheimer in theaters long enough to approach $1 billion globally.
Cast and Story
Matt Damon, who previously appeared in Oppenheimer, leads the film as Odysseus, navigating gods, monsters, and witches on his long journey home to Ithaca [1]. The ensemble around him is characteristically Nolan in its ambition, drawing on both returning collaborators and new additions: Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal are all part of the cast [1].
Advance tickets for the film went on sale a full year before its release, an unusually long runway that helped sustain fan anticipation and likely contributed to the opening-night frenzy [1].
What to Watch Next
The full opening weekend figures, expected Sunday, will determine whether The Odyssey clears the $100 million mark and how it positions itself for a long run. Given its budget, a strong second and third weekend will matter as much as the debut. Watch whether IMAX availability expands to meet demand, whether the Rotten Tomatoes score holds as more reviews come in, and whether the film can replicate Oppenheimer's remarkable staying power — the metric that ultimately turned that film from a hit into a phenomenon.