Over the weekend, Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” will begin its epic big-screen journey.
The big-budget historical adventure is projected to open to $90 million to $100 million from 3,900 North American theaters. Anywhere in this range would rank as Nolan’s biggest debut since 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” ($160 million). At the higher end of estimates, “The Odyssey” would be only the third release this year to debut above $100 million following “Toy Story 5” ($159 million) and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million).
Anticipation for “The Odyssey” has been stratospheric as Nolan’s follow-up to 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” which launched to a remarkable $82 million and remained a formidable box office force for months. “Oppenheimer” opened in second place in North America behind another juggernaut, “Barbie.” As this weekend’s only major release, “The Odyssey” will get the satisfaction of debuting at No. 1 on domestic box office charts.
Universal needs “The Odyssey” to enjoy a box office run that’s as long (but maybe not as arduous) as Odysseus’ journey back to Troy. “The Odyssey” cost $250 million to produce, a staggering price tag for any tentpole these days. Universal, which also backed “Oppenheimer,” is also spending around $125 million to promote the R-rated movie to global audiences, with splashy stops in London, Paris and Mumbai.
