Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ has surpassed $1 billion worldwide in less than three weeks, the director’s first film to surpass that milestone since 2012.
According to Variety, ‘Odyssey’, starring Matt Damon as the ancient Greek king Odysseus, has earned $429.65 million domestically and $578.8 million internationally in its three-week run, bringing its total worldwide box office to $1.008 billion.
It is the first film by Christopher Nolan to top $1 billion worldwide since ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ (2012).
“Odyssey” is expected to become the highest-grossing film of the director’s career in the coming days. To do so, it needs to surpass the result of “The Dark Knight Returns,” which earned $1.08 billion. The film has already matched the figure of “The Dark Knight” (2008), which closed with $1.008 billion.
This result is especially noteworthy because “Odyssey” is a nearly three-hour drama aimed primarily at an adult audience and is based on a poem written almost three thousand years ago.
A significant part of the box office was provided by IMAX screenings. They have already brought the film $257 million. By the end of the weekend, “Odyssey” is expected to become the highest-grossing release in IMAX history.
At the same time, the film has not yet been released in China, the world’s second-largest film market. The premiere there is scheduled for August 14. The film will be shown on nearly 800 IMAX screens and in thousands of conventional theaters.м
Analysts predict that thanks to positive audience feedback and high demand for screenings in premium formats, “Odyssey” will maintain high box office collections throughout the summer and fall.