Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has become Universal Pictures' highest-grossing release of all time, ending the weekend of September 12-14 with a worldwide total of roughly $1.68 billion and pushing past "Jurassic World," which closed its 2015 run at $1.677 billion, according to studio estimates reported by Deadline and corroborated by other trade trackers. The milestone caps a two-month run for the three-hour adaptation of Homer's epic that has repeatedly outperformed even Nolan's own track record.
It arrives just over a week after the film separately crossed $1 billion at the international box office, becoming only the 17th film in history to reach that threshold overseas — and, notably, the first original film with no prior franchise, sequel or remake ties to do it since James Cameron's "Avatar" in 2009, a 17-year gap that trade reporters have called out as evidence of how rare wide-scale original blockbusters have become.
The numbers behind the run
Domestically, "The Odyssey" has taken in roughly $601 million against an international tally near $1.08 billion, a split of about 64 percent overseas. That overall haul makes it the 12th-highest-grossing film ever and, per trade box-office counts, the third-biggest original (non-franchise) title in box-office history. The film had already set two other records this summer: it is the highest-grossing R-rated release ever, surpassing "Deadpool & Wolverine," and the highest-grossing release in IMAX format, with more than $457 million of its total sold on IMAX screens.
Those IMAX numbers are tied to how the film was made. Nolan shot "The Odyssey" entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras, reportedly the first feature to do so from start to finish, and Universal has extended its IMAX theatrical run into September to capture holdout audiences chasing the large-format presentation.
The film opened July 17 on a $250 million budget, with a three-day domestic debut of roughly $123.5 million — itself a record for a Nolan film — before international openings pushed its first weekend past $260 million worldwide. Its 30 percent second-weekend hold and slow, steady declines since have been unusual for a film of its scale, a pattern distributors typically associate with strong word of mouth rather than front-loaded curiosity.
Nolan's biggest hit, and a rare original blockbuster
The film now stands as Nolan's highest-grossing release, ahead of 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," and comes at a moment when major studios have leaned heavily on established franchises to fill multiplexes. Its cast includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Robert Pattinson as Antinous and Lupita Nyong'o in a dual role as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.
What Chris and Emma have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history.
Donna Langley, chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment
Universal Pictures International's president of distribution, Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, struck a similar note when the film crossed its $1 billion international mark earlier this month.
From its record-breaking opening to this historic milestone, The Odyssey has captivated audiences around the world.
Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution, Universal Pictures International
Analysts have pointed to a mix of factors behind the film's staying power: adult-skewing counterprogramming among a sea of franchise sequels this year, an IMAX-driven premium-ticket strategy, and a starry ensemble spread across a story with broad international name recognition thanks to its ancient-epic source material.
What happens next
With its extended IMAX run continuing through the rest of September and awards-season conversation already building around its cinematography and score, "The Odyssey" is expected to keep climbing before its theatrical run winds down. Universal now holds both the top spot on its own all-time chart and, with more than $4.9 billion in global grosses across its 2026 slate, the lead among major studios for the year — with "The Odyssey" doing the heaviest lifting.
