Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is on the verge of joining one of the most exclusive clubs in South Korean box office history - and it's getting there faster than almost anything before it.
According to the Korean Film Council's (KOBIS) tracking data, the Matt Damon-led epic crossed 9 million admissions on September 1, just 27 days after its August 5 wide release. That makes it only the second foreign film since the pandemic to clear the 9-million mark, following Avatar: The Way of Water - and it got there three days faster.
The Odyssey has held the No. 1 spot at the Korean box office for four consecutive weekends, recently overtaking Spider-Man: Brand New Day to become the country's top-grossing foreign release of 2026. It has also topped advance ticket sales for nearly a month straight, a signal that momentum isn't slowing as it closes in on 10 million.
For JubileeCast readers who followed our earlier look at the film's surprising biblical parallels, the milestone lands as fitting. Nolan's retelling of Homer's epic leans hard into themes of testing, endurance, and a long-delayed homecoming - a narrative arc that echoes stories of faith many believers know well, from Job's trials to the prodigal's return. That resonance may be part of why the film has connected so deeply with audiences well beyond typical blockbuster crowds.
If the current pace holds, The Odyssey could officially cross 10 million admissions within days, cementing it as one of the biggest foreign theatrical runs Korea has seen in years - Christian-themed undertones and all.
