![\"'The](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132503386,imgsize-263350,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/the-odyssey-the-dark-knight.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nChristopher Nolan<\/a>‘s ‘The Odyssey’ stormed the North American box office to score one of the biggest debuts and a personal record for the director.According to trade reports, the film earned an estimated USD 124.5 million in domestic ticket sales and another USD 139.6 million from overseas, notching an even better debut than ‘Oppenheimer’ and marking Nolan’s best opening since 2012’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, which earned USD 249 million at the time of its release.Nolan flexed his singular box-office might with a global debut unlike any other. Few filmmakers alive could pull off a starry, big-budget adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. But in a Hollywood where intellectual property rights rule most hits, Nolan turned one of the world’s oldest works of literature into an unlikely summer blockbuster.<\/p>\n The Universal production was no small gamble on Nolan, coming off the 2023 best picture-winning ‘Oppenheimer’. With a production budget of USD 250 million, it’s among the most expensive R-rated movies ever made. Universal is spending some USD 125 million to market it.<\/p>\n But no behind-the-camera name turns out audiences more than Nolan’s. So great was the hype on ‘The Odyssey’ 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 – and sold them out.Billed as Nolan’s first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, the format drove a huge slice of ticket sales. That included USD 29.6 million domestically on IMAX and USD 51.8 million globally, leading to the company’s best weekend ever.IMAX is dedicating its screens entirely to ‘The Odyssey’ for three weeks. Though only 41 IMAX screens can screen ‘The Odyssey’ in 70 mm, they accounted for USD 6.3 million in ticket sales.Since the pandemic, Nolan has been at the forefront of reviving cinemas. His ‘Tenet’ was one of the first big releases to wade back into theaters in 2020. Three years later, ‘Oppenheimer’ and Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ combined to create arguably the movies’ signature moment of the decade. ‘Oppenheimer’ ultimately grossed USD 975 million worldwide.‘The Odyssey’ arrived in theaters during Hollywood’s 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.<\/p>\n The only question for “The Odyssey” 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’t next weekend, either. However, come month-end, the film will face new competition with the release of Tom Holland and Zendaya’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ on July 31 (India July 30). The superhero film is touted to make a splash at the box office, and continue its epic box office run, crossing the USD 1 billion mark again.<\/p>\n‘The Odyssey’ becomes most expensive R-rated film<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
IMAX drives ‘The Odyssey’ ticket sales<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
‘Spider-Man’ to crash ‘The Odyssey’ party<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Casting controversy has no apparent effect<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n