It’s a box office debut fit for a king. Christopher Nolan’s action epic “The Odyssey” grossed $124.5 million in 3,919 domestic theaters over the weekend, defying expectations and setting the R-rated spectacle for a long, long journey in theaters.

These ticket sales are notable as Nolan’s biggest debut since 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” ($160 million), as well as the third-biggest opening of the year behind “Toy Story 5” ($159 million) and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million). They’re also impressive not only because “The Odyssey” is a nearly three-hour sword-and-sandal adventure, a genre rarely done these days, but also because it’s rated R, which limits who can buy tickets.

At the international box office, “The Odyssey” grossed $139.6 million in 73 markets for a stellar worldwide gross of $264.1 million. This marks Nolan’s biggest global opening ahead of “The Dark Knight Rises” ($249 million, not adjusted for inflation), 2009’s “The Dark Knight” ($198 million, not adjusted for inflation) and “Oppenheimer” ($180 million).

Adapted from Homer’s 3,000-year-old epic poem, “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and chronicles his seemingly eternal and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. Damon leads the all-star ensemble consisting of Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo. Written and directed by Nolan, “The Odyssey” is one of the best-reviewed films of the year with an “A” rating in CinemaScore exit polls and a 95% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Men accounted for 56% of ticket buyers, while half of moviegoers were between 18 and 34, underscoring that Nolan appeals to all generations of moviegoers.

With stellar word of mouth, the frenzy around premium formats and a top-notch cast that has been taking the promotional circuit by storm, “The Odyssey” is poised for an epic run at the box office. Plus, it won’t have any competition until Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” releases on July 31. That’s necessary to justify the film’s enormous price tag. Universal spent $250 million to produce (a staggering cost for any tentpole these days, especially one that’s rated R) and another $125 million to market to global audiences.

“Christopher Nolan is the only filmmaker today who could take an old story like this, attract a cast as large and competent as this one, and turn it into a pop culture event,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. “Nolan has become a unique and singular talent, with a loyal and enthusiastic following.”

Nolan has long been a commercial draw, having directed huge box office hits such as “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “Interstellar.” But the British filmmaker reached a new level of fame after 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” which became a box office juggernaut before landing the best picture Oscar. Fueled by the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, “Oppenheimer” launched above expectations with $82 million and earned a remarkable $330 million in North America and $975 million worldwide by the end of its run. While “Oppenheimer” opened in second place behind “Barbie,” another box office giant, “The Odyssey” has the satisfaction of debuting at number one worldwide.

“There’s palpable excitement in theaters this weekend,” says Universal’s president of domestic distribution, Jim Orr. “Christopher Nolan is one of the most trusted filmmakers of all time and audiences know he’s going to deliver something they’ll want to experience on the big screen. We have schedules in certain formats that are sold out for next weekend, the weekend after that and even midweek.”

Nolan has become synonymous with large premium formats, and “The Odyssey” stands out for being the first feature film shot entirely with Imax cameras. It’s a feat Nolan has called his “longest ambition.” The public has taken note of the commotion around these screens. Premium major formats contributed a whopping 53% of the film’s domestic gross, with Imax accounting for $51.8 million or 23% of global ticket sales. Imax, which will dedicate its entire global presence to “The Odyssey” for three weeks, has been scheduling round-the-clock screenings in coveted 70mm auditoriums, with some determined moviegoers enduring 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. screenings of the nearly three-hour epic.

“‘The Odyssey’ is among a rare group of instant classic blockbusters in Imax history that take full advantage of our platform; as optimistic as we are about its success, our experience tells us that even we don’t know how this film will grow our brand and our business,” says Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax. “With record pre-sales, critical and popular acclaim, and the way the film is performing extraordinarily in Imax, we believe all the elements are in place for ‘The Odyssey’ to enjoy a very long and successful run.”

Thanks to “The Odyssey,” the box office is recovering after three consecutive flops: the Warner Bros. and DC adaptation “Supergirl,” the Universal and Illumination sequel “Minions and Monsters” and the live-action Disney movie “Moana.” Despite those stumbles, nationwide ticket sales are about 10% ahead of 2025, according to Rentrak, and the summer season is expected to top $4 billion for the second time since the pandemic upended the industry.

“Moana” came in a distant second with $19 million in its second year, a 56% decline from its disappointing $43 million debut. So far, Disney’s live-action remake has generated $82 million domestically and $178 million worldwide. Because “Moana” was so expensive (it’s priced at $250 million) and theater owners keep about half of the revenue, the film is set to lose at least $100 million on its theatrical run. Disney’s summer has been a mixed bag, with the studio delivering big hits like “The Devil Wears Prada 2” ($688 million) and “Toy Story 5” along with big-budget flops like “Moana” and “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” ($340 million against a $165 million budget).

“Minions and Monsters” tied with “Toy Story 5” for third place, with each film grossing $14.8 million over the weekend.

For “Minions and Monsters,” ticket sales represent a 34% drop from the previous weekend and increase revenue to $137 million domestically and $323 million globally. Since previous entries in Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me” franchise have reached or surpassed the billion-dollar mark with ease, the newest “Minions” may end up being the lowest-grossing of the bunch. However, this installment was produced for $85 million and will generate profits for the studio.

“Toy Story 5” is one of the biggest hits of the summer with $430 million in North America and $958 million worldwide after five opening weekends. It will soon surpass $1 billion and will eventually surpass its predecessor, 2019’s “Toy Story 4” ($1.07 billion), as the highest-grossing entry in the beloved franchise.

Meanwhile, “Supergirl” fell to No. 9 with $1.5 million in its fourth weekend. After a month in theaters, Warner Bros. and DC’s latest comic book adaptation is flopping with $69.9 million domestically and $120 million worldwide. Given its hefty $170 million budget, “Supergirl” is projected to lose more than $120 million in its theatrical run. It’s the second notable flop of 2026 for Warner Bros. after this spring’s “The Bride.” which stalled at $23 million worldwide against a $90 million budget.

On the other hand, A24’s comedy “The Invite” has grossed $3.9 million on 2,110 screens, its biggest impact to date. After several weekends of limited release, Olivia Wilde’s film has grossed a promising $15 million.

More to come…