The Odyssey Just Had Christopher Nolan’s Best Second Weekend Ever
“The Odyssey” earned $87 million in North American theaters during its second weekend, according to studio estimates reported by the Associated Press. That is a drop of just 30 percent from its $123.5 million opening weekend. For a film this size, a hold that soft going into week two is rare.
The number puts Christopher Nolan in territory he has not touched before. In 2008, “The Dark Knight” earned $75.2 million in its second weekend. “The Odyssey” beat that by more than $11 million, making it Nolan’s best second weekend of his career, before adjusting for inflation.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, called the number a testament to how much excitement moviegoers still have for the film two weeks in.
Where It Ranks
Among films that opened above $100 million, “The Odyssey” now has the third-best weekend-two hold in box office history, measured by percentage decline from its opener, trailing only “Wicked” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” By dollar amount, its $87 million second weekend ranks second all-time among R-rated releases, behind “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The film, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, has now made an estimated $286.4 million domestically after two weekends. Global box office sits at roughly $639.6 million, boosted by another $128.3 million from international theaters this weekend alone.
IMAX Is Doing Heavy Lifting
“The Odyssey” was shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras, a first for a narrative feature. That bet is paying off. IMAX ticket sales have generated an estimated $140 million globally through two weekends, roughly 53 percent of the film’s total gross. It is the second-fastest film to reach $100 million in IMAX history, behind only “Avengers: Endgame.”
Produced on a $250 million budget, “The Odyssey” is Nolan’s most expensive film since “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012. Two weekends in, that bet looks like it is paying off too.
What’s Next
“The Odyssey” faces its first real test next weekend when “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opens wide. Whether Nolan’s epic can hold its IMAX screens and its audience against a new Marvel release will say a lot about how long this run really has.
