Christopher Nolan's epic historical adventure The Odyssey has debuted at the top of the North American box office, earning $124.5 million from 3,919 cinemas over its opening weekend, making it the third biggest domestic opening of 2026.
The Universal Pictures release also earned $139.6 million from 73 international markets, taking its worldwide opening to $264.1 million, according to box office figures reported by Variety on Monday.
The film marks Nolan's biggest domestic opening since The Dark Knight Rises debuted with $160 million in 2012. It is also the filmmaker's biggest global opening, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises ($249 million), The Dark Knight ($198 million) and Oppenheimer ($180 million), none adjusted for inflation.
Adapted from Homer's 3,000-year-old epic poem, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, and follows his perilous journey home after the Trojan War.
The cast also includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo.
Written and directed by Nolan, the nearly three-hour R-rated film has received an A CinemaScore from audiences and a 95 per cent critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
According to audience data, men accounted for 56 per cent of ticket buyers, while half of cinema-goers were aged between 18 and 34.
David A. Gross, publisher of the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, said, "Christopher Nolan is the only filmmaker working today who could take an ancient story like this, attract a cast as sprawling and accomplished as this, and make it a pop culture event. Nolan has become a unique and singular talent, with a loyal and enthusiastic following."
Universal's President of Domestic Distribution, Jim Orr, attributed the strong opening to Nolan's reputation and the demand for premium cinema formats.
"Christopher Nolan is one of the most trusted filmmakers ever, and audiences know he's going to deliver something that you want to experience on the big screen," Orr said. "We have showtimes in certain formats that are sold out for next weekend, the weekend after, and even mid-week."
The film is the first feature to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Premium large format screenings accounted for 53 per cent of its domestic earnings, while IMAX alone generated $51.8 million, representing 23 per cent of worldwide ticket sales.
IMAX has dedicated its global network to The Odyssey for three weeks, with some 70mm screenings scheduled around the clock to meet demand.
Rich Gelfond, Chief Executive Officer of IMAX, described the film as "among a rarified group of instant classic blockbusters in IMAX history".
"With record pre-sales, critical and audience acclaim, and the way the film presents extraordinarily in IMAX, we believe all the elements are in place for The Odyssey to enjoy a very long and successful run," he said.
The strong debut comes after several underperforming releases, including Supergirl, Minions and Monsters and Disney's live action Moana, helping revive the North American box office.
According to Rentrak, domestic ticket sales are currently about 10 per cent higher than in 2025, while the summer box office is expected to exceed $4 billion for only the second time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's Head of Marketplace Trends, said: "Nolan's latest epic has arrived at the perfect time, reminding everyone of the undeniable allure of the big-screen moviegoing experience."
Elsewhere, Moana finished second with $19 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $82 million and worldwide earnings to $178 million.
Minions and Monsters and Toy Story 5 tied for third place with $14.8 million each. Toy Story 5 has now earned $430 million domestically and $958 million worldwide after five weeks in cinemas.
Meanwhile, Supergirl slipped to ninth place with $1.5 million in its fourth weekend, taking its worldwide total to $120 million.