Nolan’s The Odyssey opens with $264.1 million worldwide

Universal’s Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey generated an estimated $124.5 million in domestic ticket sales in its first weekend and $264.1 million worldwide, according to figures reported by CNBC. The result made it Nolan’s strongest global opening and his third-largest domestic debut, based on Rentrak data cited by the network.

The film, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, added $139.6 million from international markets, even before opening in China, Japan and South Korea. The opening underlined the continuing commercial value of premium theatrical formats for studios and exhibitors seeking higher ticket revenue per patron.

IMAX accounted for almost $30 million of domestic sales, or about 24% of the opening-weekend total, CNBC reported. Overseas, IMAX contributed roughly $22 million, equal to about 15% of the film’s international launch.

EntTelligence data cited by CNBC showed that about 7.5 million domestic tickets were sold. Premium large-format screenings made up 45% of those admissions and carried an average ticket price of $19. Screenings in 70mm, a format closely associated with Nolan’s releases, represented 5% of tickets sold and averaged nearly $22.50.

Premium screens drive the release

Premium formats allow theaters to charge more for larger screens, upgraded projection and enhanced sound. For a film shot with IMAX-branded cameras and designed for large-format presentation, that pricing structure can lift gross sales even when attendance is spread across a finite number of auditoriums.

Rich Gelfond, chief executive of IMAX, told CNBC that the film had strong underlying appeal from its cast, director and locations, and said IMAX helped turn it into “a massive cultural event on a worldwide basis.” He said 42 IMAX locations scheduled showtimes between midnight and 3 a.m. over the weekend to meet demand.

Gelfond also told CNBC that IMAX is extending the film’s run into a fifth week, with some of those added screenings already sold out. The film has exclusive access to IMAX theaters for the next three weeks, according to CNBC.

Ticket demand for 70mm screenings had been building well before release. CNBC reported that some tickets had been available since July 2025 and that theaters offering the format sold out, echoing the pattern seen around Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer.

Limited competition before Spider-Man

The release faces limited direct competition until Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives on July 31, CNBC reported. That window gives Universal and exhibitors an opportunity to retain premium screens during the early part of the run.

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, told CNBC that premium showtimes for Nolan films often sell out weeks ahead of release. He said fans sometimes travel long distances to see the films in formats close to the director’s intended presentation.

The audience profile also pointed to a demographic that theater operators have been trying to rebuild since the pandemic. CNBC reported that half of moviegoers were between 18 and 34 years old.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, told CNBC that Nolan is among a small group of directors whose names can help drive box-office demand, citing his record with movie fans and film audiences globally.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.