Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ storms North American Box Office
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” sailed straight to the top of the North American box office, bringing home $124.5 million in its opening weekend, the best live action debut of the year, industry estimates showed on July 19.
The latest remake of the nearly 3,000-year-old epic captured another $139 million in overseas sales for a total of $263.5 million, according to Exhibitor Relations, more than paying for the film’s reported $250 million price tag.
The film, with a high-voltage cast led by Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, and produced by Universal, pillaged earlier estimates that forecast an opening weekend haul of less than $100 million.
“Nolan is the only filmmaker working today who could take an ancient story like this, attract a cast as sprawling and accomplished as this, and make it a pop culture event,” said veteran industry analyst David A. Gross.
