Christopher Nolan has once again proven his box office prowess. His retelling of "The Odyssey" pulled in an estimated $124.5 million across North America in its first three days, according to Rentrak data. Worldwide, that figure hit $264.1 million, with international markets contributing $139.6 million.
About 7.5 million domestic tickets were sold over the weekend. Half of those buyers were between 18 and 34 years old, a crowd that matters a lot to theaters. Shawn Robbins, who serves as director of analytics at Fandango, put it this way: "Death, taxes, and Christopher Nolan."
Premium formats played a big role. Nearly 45% of domestic tickets went to premium large-format screens, which cost an average of $19 apiece. IMAX alone brought in about $30 million domestically, roughly 24% of the domestic total.
Another $22 million came from IMAX internationally. Even the niche 70mm format accounted for 5% of domestic tickets, with an average price of $22.50.
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So many people wanted to see the film on the biggest screen possible that 42 IMAX locations over the weekend held screenings running from midnight to 3 a.m. just to meet demand.
This was not a surprise to anyone who has watched Nolan's career. He has a reputation for making movies that feel like events. "He's reinvented the superhero genre, captured the zeitgeist with multiple thought-provoking originals, and turned a three-hour biopic into a global blockbuster," Robbins said. "He's done it again with the retelling of a 2,700-year-old poem."
Nolan used IMAX cameras and practical effects, which encourages fans to hunt down the best possible viewing experience. "Fans drive hours in many cases just to find auditoriums presenting the film as close as possible to what Nolan intended," Robbins added.
Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, said the film was always going to be great because of the cast, director, and locations. "But I think what IMAX did was help turn it from a great movie into a massive cultural event on a worldwide basis," he said.
Rentrak's head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian, summed it up: "Christopher Nolan is one of a handful of movie directors whose name on the marquee is a guarantee for box office success."
With no major studio releases scheduled until late July, "The Odyssey" is well positioned to dominate theaters for weeks. The film will also hold onto IMAX screens for several more weeks, a key advantage given that premium formats drove nearly half of its domestic opening. Nolan's previous film "Oppenheimer" demonstrated similar legs, eventually grossing over $950 million worldwide after a comparable premium-format-driven launch.
Early industry projections suggest "The Odyssey" could follow a similar trajectory, especially as word-of-mouth and repeat viewings from IMAX and 70mm enthusiasts continue to fuel demand. The 42 IMAX locations that added late-night screenings over the weekend are expected to keep extended hours as long as crowds remain strong.
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