Christopher Nolan has done it again.
Just one week after storming into theatres with a massive opening, The Odyssey is proving it wasn't a one-weekend wonder. The epic adaptation of Homer's legendary tale has shattered yet another box office record, delivering the biggest second weekend of Nolan's career in North America.
The Universal blockbuster earned a staggering $87 million in its sophomore frame, bringing its domestic total to $286.4 million after just 10 days. Even more impressive, the film dipped only 30% from its enormous opening weekend-an exceptionally strong hold for a blockbuster of this size.
The milestone pushes The Odyssey past The Dark Knight's long-standing second-weekend record of $75.2 million, setting a new personal best for the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
The achievement doesn't stop there. The R-rated spectacle also delivered the second-biggest second weekend ever for an R-rated film, trailing only Deadpool & Wolverine. Among films that opened above $100 million, it now boasts the third-largest sophomore weekend in history, placing it alongside modern box office giants like Wicked and Top Gun: Maverick.
Starring Matt Damon as the legendary Greek hero Odysseus, the film has become one of the year's must-see cinematic events. Its all-star ensemble-including Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Samantha Morton, and Himesh Patel-has only added to the excitement surrounding Nolan's ambitious retelling of the ancient epic.
The film is also making history in premium formats. As the first feature ever shot entirely using IMAX cameras, The Odyssey continues to dominate giant screens, earning $24.1 million from just 443 IMAX locations, accounting for nearly 28% of its entire North American box office. IMAX also reported its strongest-ever second weekend for a film that opened above $10 million on its screens.
Naturally, comparisons are already being made to Nolan's previous Oscar-winning triumph, Oppenheimer. After two weekends, The Odyssey sits comfortably ahead of where Oppenheimer stood at the same point in its run, suggesting it should easily surpass that film's $330 million domestic finish. The next challenge? Catching The Dark Knight's towering $533.3 million North American total-still Nolan's biggest domestic hit.
Elsewhere at the weekend box office, Disney's live-action Moana continued to struggle, adding $10.5 million in its third weekend for a disappointing $102.5 million total. Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 crossed the coveted $1 billion worldwide mark, adding another $10 million domestically.
Bleecker Street also celebrated a surprise success as Hadestown: The Musical, a filmed version of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production, opened with $9.7 million, becoming one of the strongest launches ever for a theatrical stage capture.
With audiences continuing to flock to cinemas, The Odyssey has cemented itself as the movie event of the summer-and if its remarkable staying power continues, Nolan may soon have yet another all-time blockbuster on his hands.
