NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Christopher Nolan鈥檚 launched with an estimated $124.5 million in domestic ticket sales and another $139.6 million from overseas, notching an even better debut than and marking the filmmaker鈥檚 best opening since 2012鈥檚 鈥淭he Dark Knight Rises.鈥�
Nolan flexed his singular box-office might with a global debut unlike any other. Few filmmakers alive could pull off a . But in a Hollywood where intellectual property rights rule most hits, Nolan turned into an unlikely summer blockbuster.
The Universal production was no small gamble on Nolan, coming off the 2023 With a production budget of $250 million, it鈥檚 among the most expensive R-rated movies ever made. Universal is spending some $125 million to market it.
But no behind-the-camera name turns out audiences more than Nolan’s. So great was the hype on 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� that IMAX put tickets on sale for some 70 mm showtimes a full year in advance. To satisfy the extraordinary demand for Nolan’s preferred format, IMAX 70 mm, some theaters added midnight and 3 a.m. screenings 鈥� and sold them out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to see the palpable excitement in theaters this weekend,鈥� said Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution for Universal. 鈥淣olan has crafted an epic adventure. It鈥檚 on a scale that audiences have responded to extraordinarily well.鈥�
IMAX drives ticket sales
Billed as Nolan鈥檚 first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, the format drove a huge slice of ticket sales. That included $29.6 million domestically on IMAX and $51.8 million globally, leading to the company’s best weekend ever. IMAX is dedicating its screens entirely to 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� for three weeks. Though only 41 IMAX screens can screen 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� in 70 mm, they accounted for $6.3 million in ticket sales.
鈥淭he IMAX of it all helped turn it from not only a blockbuster, but a global cultural event,鈥� said Rich Gelfond, chief executive of IMAX. 鈥淲e have tickets on sale for week five in some theaters and some of them have already sold out.鈥�
Since the pandemic, Nolan has been at the forefront of reviving cinemas. His was one of the first big releases to wade back into theaters in 2020. Three years later, 鈥淥辫辫别苍丑别颈尘别谤鈥� and Greta Gerwig鈥檚 鈥淏arbie鈥� combined to create arguably . 鈥淥辫辫别苍丑别颈尘别谤鈥� ultimately grossed $975 million worldwide.
鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� arrived in theaters during Hollywood鈥檚 best summer since 2019. Ticket sales are running 10.4% ahead of last year, according to Rentrak. The industry is expecting the first $10 billion year at the domestic box office since the pandemic.
Universal sees 鈥楾he Odyssey鈥� playing into the fall
The only question for 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� will be how front-loaded it is, given that many moviegoers have had this weekend circled for months. The film faced no new-release competition over the weekend, and it won鈥檛 next weekend, either.
Gelfond said that presales for the movie’s second weekend would rank among their 10 best presales, proof that many moviegoers are waiting to see the film in their preferred format. IMAX 70mm screenings, he said, are largely sold out for the next month, except for some front row seats.
鈥淐hristopher Nolan and Tom Cruise may be the two most high-profile ambassadors for the big-screen experience,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak. 鈥淣olan is a director who鈥檚 a star as much as any movie star in front of the camera.鈥�
The audience for 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� was notably male, accounting for 59% of tickets sold. But Orr said moviegoers were otherwise 鈥渞idiculously broad,鈥� playing across demographics and geography.
鈥淚t鈥檚 delivering for a 17-year-old dude and it鈥檚 delivering for a female that鈥檚 55 and up,鈥� said Orr. 鈥淚t points to what I鈥檓 convinced will be a very long, very successful run throughout not only the rest of the summer but into the fall, too.鈥�
The next movie to pose any competition, ironically, also stars Tom Holland and Zendaya: Sony鈥檚 鈥淪pider-Man: Brand New Day鈥� on July 31.
Casting controversy has no apparent effect
鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and features Holland as his son, Telemachus; Anne Hathaway as Penelope; Zendaya as Athena; Robert Pattinson as the suitor Antinous and Charlize Theron as the sea nymph Calypso.
Nolan鈥檚 casting of 鈥淭he Odyssey,鈥� including Lupita Nyong鈥檕 as Helen and Elliot Page as a soldier, was controversial to some conservative commentators. Elon Musk called Nolan a 鈥渃oward鈥� over Nyong鈥檕鈥檚 casting.
But that criticism had little to no effect on 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� becoming one of the of the year. Reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) are among the best of Nolan鈥檚 career. Audiences gave it an 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore.
PG-rated films followed in the wake of 鈥淭he Odyssey.鈥� The Walt Disney Co.鈥檚 landed in a distant second place with $19 million in its third weekend. Following its disappointing $43 million launch, the live-action remake slid 56% on its second weekend. In two weeks it collected $178 million worldwide, a poor result for a film that cost $250 million to make.
鈥淢辞补苍补鈥� was trailed by Universal’s and Disney’s both of which grossed about $15 million.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:
1. 鈥淭he Odyssey,鈥� $124.5 million.
2. 鈥淢oana,鈥� $19 million.
3. 鈥淢inions & Monsters,鈥� $14.8 million.
4. 鈥淭oy Story 5,鈥� $14.8 million.
5. 鈥淓vil Dead Burn,鈥� $5 million.
6. 鈥淭he Invite,鈥� $3.9 million.
7. 鈥淵oung Washington,鈥� $3.7 million.
8. 鈥淥bsession,鈥� $2.5 million.
9. 鈥淪upergirl,鈥� $1.5 million.
10. 鈥淒isclosure Day,鈥� $1.5 million.
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