‘The Odyssey’ Surpasses ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ as Universal’s Second-Biggest Domestic Release

Christopher Nolan has consistently challenged the norms of box office success, and his latest film continues this trend well into the fall. Few original, R-rated epics have maintained such a long theatrical run while achieving numbers that rival major franchise blockbusters.

Since its debut in July, ‘The Odyssey’ has demonstrated remarkable staying power, climbing the all-time box office charts week after week. This has surprised analysts who initially expected a shorter theatrical lifespan for a film that doesn’t belong to an established franchise.

Now, ‘The Odyssey’ has reached a significant milestone, grossing $574.9 million at the domestic box office. This achievement has allowed it to surpass ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ making it Universal’s second-highest-grossing film ever in North America, trailing only behind ‘Jurassic World.’

The shift in expectations for the film has been remarkable. Just two weeks ago, a domestic total of $600 million seemed like an ambitious goal; now, it appears to be the new baseline, with projections estimating a final total between $610 million and $630 million.

This optimistic outlook is fueled by the film’s consistent daily earnings. ‘The Odyssey’ recently completed 49 consecutive days of earning over $1 million domestically, surpassing both ‘Michael’ and ‘The Passion of the Christ’ for the fifth-longest such streak in the post-COVID era.

This endurance has allowed the film to reclaim the number one spot domestically during the Labor Day weekend, overtaking ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ nearly two months into its own run. Its latest Wednesday performance brought in $1.8 million, reflecting only a 21.7% drop from the previous week, despite losing 474 theaters.

Globally, ‘The Odyssey’ has already become Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film, surpassing both ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ It has also crossed the $1 billion mark overseas, becoming the first R-rated film to achieve this milestone internationally, and currently ranks as the second-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, behind only ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’

With ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ now behind it, the focus shifts to whether ‘The Odyssey’ can challenge ‘Jurassic World’s’ $653.4 million domestic total to become Universal’s biggest release in North America. Current estimates suggest it would need a 26% increase from its current pace to close that gap, making the record a longshot but not impossible.

The film has also set a record as the biggest release in IMAX history, generating nearly $289 million in ticket sales through that format alone. With ongoing demand for premium formats and steady daily numbers, ‘The Odyssey’ shows few signs of slowing down as it approaches the two-month mark of its theatrical run.

Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, along with an ensemble cast featuring Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya, ‘The Odyssey’ has emerged as one of the year’s defining theatrical success stories. Its sustained box office momentum for an original, adult-oriented epic is a rare feat in today’s blockbuster landscape.

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