Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey surpasses $1.1 billion, breaking the director’s box office record

Christopher Nolan’s new film, an adaptation of the Homeric epic The Odyssey, has crossed the $1.1 billion mark at the global box office, setting a new record in the director’s career. Released on July 17, the production became the highest-grossing film in Nolan’s filmography in less than a month.

The film centers on the 10-year perilous journey of the Greek king Odysseus as he attempts to return to Ithaca following the Trojan War. The three-hour production, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, has reached a wide audience at the box office following strong reviews from critics.

With this result, The Odyssey has surpassed Nolan’s previous box office peak, The Dark Knight Rises. The 2012 film had grossed $1.085 billion worldwide. The 2008 film in the series, The Dark Knight, had reached a gross of $1.005 billion.

The Oscar-winning director’s previous films, such as Tenet, Dunkirk, and Interstellar, also showed strong box office performance on a global scale. Nolan’s films have grossed over $7 billion in total to date.

THE CAST ALSO BROKE RECORDS

In addition to Matt Damon, the cast of The Odyssey includes Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o. The film stands out as the highest-grossing production in the careers of Damon, Hathaway, and Pattinson to date.

Produced in partnership with Syncopy and Universal Pictures, the film opened at number one worldwide and maintained its top position for two weekends. The production became one of three films under the Universal banner to cross the $1 billion threshold this year.

Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures, emphasized the trust audiences have in Nolan, stating that The Odyssey has emerged as a “must-see” cinematic event. Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution for Universal Pictures International, described the film as “a global epic that resonates with audiences everywhere with its massive scope and uncompromising vision.”

Reported to have a production budget of $250 million, excluding marketing expenses, The Odyssey is considered one of Nolan’s most expensive projects.

The film also had a strong start at the Turkish box office. Shown in 766 theaters during the week of July 17-23, the production was watched by 487,833 people and grossed 158.4 million lira in its first week. By the end of the third week, the total number of viewers in Turkey exceeded 1 million 176 thousand, while the total gross reached 393.2 million lira.