‘The Odyssey’ Surpasses Major Milestone, Poised to Outperform ‘Barbie’

Christopher Nolan has built a remarkable reputation over the years as a filmmaker who can transform original, non-franchise material into significant box office successes. This reputation was further solidified with ‘Oppenheimer,’ a three-hour biographical drama that became a defining cultural moment of 2023, thanks to the now-famous Barbenheimer phenomenon.

Despite the immense buzz surrounding ‘Oppenheimer,’ one figure always lingered just out of reach. The film concluded its theatrical run with a worldwide total of $976 million, falling short of the staggering $1.447 billion global earnings achieved by its pink-hued counterpart that summer.

Now, Nolan’s latest epic seems ready to achieve what ‘Oppenheimer’ could not. ‘The Odyssey’ has crossed another significant milestone, currently trailing less than $1 million behind ‘Barbie’s’ final worldwide box office total, positioning it to officially surpass the biggest box office hit in Warner Bros. history in just a few days.

This achievement carries a special kind of poetic significance, considering the direct connection between Nolan and ‘Barbie.’ The two films were forever linked by their simultaneous 2023 release, and while ‘Oppenheimer’ showcased Nolan’s most acclaimed work in years, it never quite matched Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster at the global box office—a gap that ‘The Odyssey’ now appears ready to close.

‘The Odyssey’s’ box office triumph goes beyond merely catching up to ‘Barbie.’ The film has already made history as the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever released, surpassing ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ during its theatrical run. It has also become Nolan’s biggest hit, officially outpacing both ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at both the domestic and international box office.

After a full month in theaters worldwide, Nolan’s grounded adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic has grossed $1.446 billion globally, according to Box Office Mojo. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson, the film has become the highest-grossing release for each of these actors, a remarkable achievement for a nearly three-hour adaptation of a poem written thousands of years ago.

There’s an added layer of irony to the film’s success, given Nolan’s own history with the source material. The director was once attached to a different take on Greek mythology over two decades ago with ‘Troy,’ before ultimately deciding to direct ‘Batman Begins’ instead. ‘The Odyssey’ has now grossed nearly three times as much as ‘Troy’ ever managed at the worldwide box office.

Similar to ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘The Odyssey’ has faced direct competition from another major box office contender throughout most of its theatrical run, this time in the form of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ Rather than detracting from audience interest, this rivalry seems to have only heightened enthusiasm for both films, contributing to a robust summer at the domestic box office.

With Nolan’s films collectively grossing over $7 billion at the worldwide box office throughout his career, ‘The Odyssey’ now stands as the crown jewel of that entire filmography. This milestone feels especially fitting, given how closely tied the film’s marketing and cultural conversation have been to the very rival it’s now on the brink of surpassing.

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