Christopher Nolan’s latest film “The Odyssey” has become the highest-grossing movie in Universal Pictures’ 114-year history, earning $1.68 billion worldwide in under two months. Universal confirmed the milestone on September 12, after the film’s ninth weekend in theatres pushed its total past the $1.677 billion mark previously held by “Jurassic World” since 2015.
The film has earned $601.2 million in North America and $1.083 billion internationally, making it one of only a small number of films to cross $1 billion overseas without being a sequel or remake since 2009. It has also become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, overtaking “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and IMAX’s biggest earner ever, with worldwide IMAX ticket sales topping $486 million.
For Nolan, the film marks his best box office performance yet, surpassing earlier hits like “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron among others, the film is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic and was made on a $250 million budget.
NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley praised the achievement, calling it one of the most ambitious films in cinema history. The success also builds on Nolan’s ongoing partnership with Universal, which began with “Oppenheimer” in 2023 after he left Warner Bros.
