The Odyssey opens with $51 million at the Friday box office
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" earned $51 million on Friday from 3,919 North American screens, topping the day's box office charts. After that stellar opening day, weekend forecasts have climbed as high as $120 million, putting the Homer epic on pace to join 2026's $100 million openers.
Key Takeaways
- "The Odyssey" posted $51 million on Friday across 3,919 North American screens.
- Weekend estimates have risen toward $120 million after early $90–$100 million forecasts.
- The film's $51 million Friday already topped Nolan's entire "Interstellar" opening weekend ($47.5 million).
- Matt Damon leads an all-star cast in the $250 million Homer adaptation.
- Premiere buzz in London, Paris, and New York helped build opening-day demand.
How big was The Odyssey's opening day at the box office?
According to Variety, Nolan's Greek epic didn't need a Trojan Horse to claim Friday's box office crown. The $51 million haul came from 3,919 screens and immediately reshaped weekend expectations.
Early estimates had pegged the saga at $90 million to $100 million by Sunday. After Friday's surge, forecasts now see it climbing as high as $120 million. That pace would make "The Odyssey" the third 2026 title to open above $100 million, following "Toy Story 5" ($159 million) and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" ($131 million).
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How does the debut compare with Nolan's past hits?
A $120 million opening would rank as Nolan's strongest since "The Dark Knight Rises," which debuted to $160 million in 2012. It would also blow past the opening weekend of his 2023 best picture winner "Oppenheimer," which made $82 million before finishing at $975 million worldwide.
Friday alone already outgrossed the full opening weekend of Nolan's 2014 film "Interstellar" ($47.5 million). The new film carries a hefty $250 million production budget, so the elevated forecast matters for more than bragging rights.
Who stars in The Odyssey and what is the story?
Based on Homer's ancient Greek epic, the film follows Odysseus on his arduous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, with Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, and John Leguizamo in the ensemble.
July premiere stops in London and Paris, plus a New York bow, kept the cast in the spotlight ahead of release. Zendaya and Anne Hathaway were among the stars turning out on the carpet as first reactions fueled theater demand.
What else opened alongside The Odyssey on Friday?
Live-action "Moana" finished No. 2 with $5.5 million as it headed into its second weekend. "Minions & Monsters" took third with $4.3 million, while "Toy Story 5" added $4.2 million in fourth and "Evil Dead Burn" rounded out the top five at an estimated $1.4 million.
Against that crowded field, Nolan's epic opening day stands out as the clear weekend story — and a signal that big-screen myth-making still sells when the pedigree and cast line up.