The Odyssey Continues Stronghold at Box Office

“The Odyssey” maintained a strong presence in North American theaters during its second weekend, amassing $87 million in ticket sales, as reported by studio estimates on Sunday. This figure represents a mere 30% decline from its debut weekend, an unusually small drop for a blockbuster film. It marks director Christopher Nolan’s most successful second weekend performance, excluding inflation. In 2008, “The Dark Knight” garnered $75.2 million in its second weekend.

An impressive opening weekend figure for any film.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, described the results as a reflection of the audience’s excitement and enthusiasm for Nolan’s latest epic.

International theaters contributed $128.3 million to “The Odyssey,” elevating its global earnings to an estimated $639.6 million. Theaters worldwide are adding more showtimes in response to high demand, according to Dergarabedian. As in the prior weekend, a large portion of the revenue comes from premium large format screens. IMAX screens accounted for $48 million of the global revenue this weekend. The exclusive 70 mm IMAX screens, totaling only 41 globally, generated $5.2 million, and most of these screenings remain sold out through September.

This weekend, the film faced no significant new competition. It’s rare for a film surpassing $100 million in its opening weekend to perform so well in its second weekend. Among R-rated films, it’s surpassed only by “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

The competitive landscape will soon change with the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which stars Tom Holland and Zendaya, also featured in “The Odyssey.” Some analysts predict that “Spider-Man” may set the year’s record for opening weekend revenue. Yet, Nolan’s film will continue dominating most IMAX screens for the weeks ahead.

Disney’s “Moana” and “Toy Story 5” secured second and third place, earning $10.5 million and $10 million, respectively. “Toy Story 5” has now exceeded $1 billion in its fifth weekend, collecting $448 million domestically and $573 million internationally. It stands as the sixth Pixar film to achieve this milestone.

Bleecker Street’s “Hadestown: The Musical,” a live stage recording, rounded out the top five with $9.7 million in its debut weekend. The Broadway hit merges folk and jazz to narrate an ancient Greek story. Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” also performed well in its incremental release, with an additional $2.6 million, totaling $19.8 million overall.

Overall, the year’s box office is performing about 10% better than last year. The summer box office surpassed $3 billion this weekend. Before the pandemic, the summer movie season routinely topped $4 billion. The “Barbenheimer” event in 2023 was the only exception since then. Dergarabedian remains cautiously optimistic about a similar outcome this summer.

A challenging goal for August, but this could be a significant month thanks to the enduring appeal of “The Odyssey” and the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

For “The Odyssey,” success appears to be a sustained effort rather than an immediate triumph.

Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office

Based on estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

• “The Odyssey,” $87 million.
• “Moana,” $10.5 million.
• “Toy Story 5,” $10 million.
• “Minions & Monsters,” $9.7 million.
• “Hadestown,” $9.6 million.
• “The Invite,” $2.6 million.
• “Evil Dead Burn,” $2.6 million.
• “Young Washington,” $2 million.
• “Motor City,” $1.6 million.
• “Obsession,” $1.5 million.