‘The Odyssey’ Surprises at the Box Office With Unexpected Fifth Weekend Earnings

Late summer at the box office typically tells a tale of decline, with even the biggest blockbusters gradually losing traction as audiences shift their focus to new releases. This past weekend, however, defied expectations for two of 2026’s biggest hits, as neither ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ nor Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ followed the usual trend.

Both films have spent weeks exchanging the top spot at the domestic box office, each achieving remarkable holds that analysts describe as extraordinary for movies this deep into their theatrical runs. ‘Brand New Day’ broke records upon its release, while ‘The Odyssey’ has quietly established one of the most consistent and durable performances of Christopher Nolan’s career.

This steady momentum led to a surprising outcome when comparing the two films’ weekends. ‘The Odyssey’ outperformed ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ in global earnings during its fifth weekend, raking in $121 million worldwide, compared to $66 million for Marvel’s sequel, according to MovieHub.

This disparity is particularly striking given ‘Brand New Day’s dominance throughout its run. The film earned $22.2 million domestically this past weekend, experiencing only a 44 percent drop from the previous week, and added approximately $44 million internationally, bringing its total weekend earnings to around $66 million and pushing its domestic total to $891 million.

Conversely, ‘The Odyssey’ has shown remarkable resilience, continuing to thrive weeks into its theatrical run. It has already become Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film, surpassing the billion-dollar mark globally and eclipsing both ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in total earnings.

Both films seem to be benefiting from more than just a strong opening weekend. ‘Brand New Day’ boasts a 98 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest for any live-action Spider-Man film, indicating the kind of word-of-mouth that sustains ticket sales long after the debut.

Similarly, ‘The Odyssey’ has relied on a comparable dynamic internationally, expanding into new markets that continue to fuel its box office success well beyond its initial release. This international rollout helps clarify why its fifth-weekend earnings surpassed those of a film that opened to the largest domestic weekend in box office history.

Domestically, ‘Brand New Day’ is still pursuing its own historic achievements, currently sitting about $45 million behind ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ for the all-time unadjusted domestic box office record. Once it surpasses that mark, it will be on the verge of becoming the first film to cross $1 billion at the North American box office alone.

For two films that premiered just weeks apart and have spent the summer vying for the top position, witnessing ‘The Odyssey’ out-earn ‘Brand New Day’ on a comparable weekend serves as a reminder that box office success doesn’t always adhere to expected patterns.

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