‘The Odyssey’ Surpasses ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Force Awakens’ Overseas

Tena Milakovic
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Christopher Nolan has always taken bold risks, but the success of ‘The Odyssey’ has surpassed expectations. This film’s international box office journey has become one of the standout narratives of the summer, maintaining its momentum long after many blockbusters have exited theaters.

With a production cost of $250 million, ‘The Odyssey’ stands as Nolan’s most expensive film to date. It debuted with a remarkable $264.1 million globally, marking the largest opening weekend for the director. Following that, the film has displayed an unusual resilience for a project of its scale, consistently exceeding expectations.

The film’s second weekend set a remarkable precedent. Internationally, it experienced only a 3% drop in holdover markets, which Screen Daily noted as the best hold ever for a film that opened above $100 million. Within just three weeks, it crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, becoming Nolan’s first film to achieve this since ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

In international markets, ‘The Odyssey’ became the 17th film to surpass $1 billion globally. It is also the first Hollywood film that is neither a sequel nor a remake to reach this milestone since ‘Avatar’ in 2009, and notably, it is the first R-rated film to do so.

Recently, the film hit another significant milestone. According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, ‘The Odyssey’ earned $13.8 million overseas during its 11th weekend, with a minimal drop of 17.4%. This brought its international total to approximately $1.13 billion across 82 markets, surpassing both ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Force Awakens’ to become the 10th highest-grossing film of all time internationally.

Other tracking sources report similar figures, estimating the international total at around $1.1347 billion, with a worldwide total nearing $1.7512 billion. Including $616.5 million from domestic earnings, ‘The Odyssey’ now stands at a global total of $1.75 billion.

The accolades continue to accumulate for ‘The Odyssey’, which is now Nolan’s highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, and the highest-grossing film distributed by Universal. It also ranks as the eleventh highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

In comparison, Nolan’s previous records seem modest. His earlier bests were ‘Oppenheimer’ at $975.8 million and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at $1.085 billion, both now significantly surpassed.

Screenshot 2026 07 25 at 11 02 38 The Odyssey 2026 Rotten Tomatoes

Part of the film’s remarkable endurance can be attributed to its unique format. ‘The Odyssey’ is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and it has become the highest-grossing film in IMAX history, grossing over $457 million worldwide. IMAX has also extended its 70mm run through the end of September, providing the film with additional exposure.

The demand for premium formats has helped ‘The Odyssey’ thrive in a competitive market. Despite new releases debuting weekly, the film has consistently shown minimal weekend drops. Both critics and audiences have responded positively, reflected in its impressive 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and a 97% score on the Popcornmeter.

Looking ahead, the question remains: how high can ‘The Odyssey’ soar? Fernando suggests the film could aim for a global total between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion, with the $1.8 billion mark appearing nearly secured. The IMAX extensions in various markets contribute significantly to this optimism.

However, there is a caveat. The film must maintain its performance as new premium-format releases come into play, and its weekend grosses are beginning to decline in absolute terms. Nevertheless, its consistent performance indicates a strong finish is likely.

Ultimately, ‘The Odyssey’ represents a triumph for original filmmaking. In a landscape often dominated by sequels, this standalone adaptation of Homer, featuring Matt Damon, has emerged as a global sensation. Regardless of its final box office total, the achievements are already historic.

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