Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Box Office Officially Surpasses Rare Milestone For R-Rated Movie

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey needed less than a three-week voyage to hit a rare box office milestone.

The new adaptation of Homer’s epic poem has taken the world by storm and quickly became one of the biggest summer blockbusters this year. During its opening weekend, The Odyssey made $123.5 million domestically — Nolan’s best for a non-superhero movie — and $264 million worldwide. The box-office momentum hasn’t slowed down as the star-studded epic fantasy continues to break records in subsequent weeks. Now, Nolan’s latest fantastical masterpiece has officially cruised past a milestone rare for an R-rated movie.

The Numbers has recently reported that The Odyssey officially crossed over $400 million domestically, becoming just the second R-rated movie in history to reach that milestone. The only other movie was Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, which currently holds the record as the highest-grossing R-rated movie at the domestic box office with $636.7 million. It’s also Nolan’s first non-Batman movie to hit that box-office feat.

Before hitting $405 million, The Odyssey already surpassed Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ as the second-highest-grossing R-rated movie domestically. It’s unclear, however, if Nolan’s adaptation has a chance to overtake the R-rated Marvel movie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

The Odyssey has exceeded box-office expectations, even with the competition of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which also stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal. With a current global total of $922 million, it’s projected to become the third R-rated movie in history to cross $1 billion after Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and Deadpool & Wolverine. Three years ago, Nolan’s Oscar-winning magnum opus Oppenheimer was close but fell short of that threshold.

Ahead of its release, The Odyssey became Nolan’s most expensive movie with a $250 million budget, especially given that it was entirely shot on IMAX’s 70 mm cameras and the first ever to do so. As a result, some outlets estimated the breakeven point would range between $625 million and $750 million. The movie faced controversies ranging from Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy to the lack of Greek representation, sparking boycott attempts. These hurdles created the doomsday narrative among naysayers.

However, the epic fantasy defied those trials as strong critical response and word of mouth fueled interest in the cinema experience. The Odyssey reviews were very positive, with praise for the production, cast performances, and technical achievements. It’s now tied the Rotten Tomatoes record for the highest-rated Nolan movie, with Memento and The Dark Knight, and the audience approval was a record high at 97%.

In particular, there has been huge demand to watch The Odyssey in IMAX 70 mm, which is available in only 25 theaters in the United States and 41 locations worldwide. Even as the movie reaches its fourth weekend in theaters, IMAX screenings are selling out quickly, at least one month in advance, following the latest ticket drop that goes to mid-September.

As The Odyssey won’t be leaving theaters anytime soon, it now eyes the $1 billion milestone in the next week or even the upcoming days. It’s currently ranked as the fifth-highest-grossing of 2026, behind Michael, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Toy Story 5. In the meantime, Nolan’s epic masterpiece has already sparked discussions for award consideration in what is turning into one of the most competitive seasons.

Homer’s epic adaptation follows Matt Damon’s Odysseus, who sails a long journey to return home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War for ten years. In his absence, Penelope (Anna Hathaway) and her son, Telemachus (Holland), must fend off suitors who want to take his place. The Odyssey cast also features Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, and Robert Pattinson.

The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.

Release Date

July 15, 2026

Runtime

173 minutes