This weekend, audiences went on an odyssey to movie theaters. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey stormed the box office this weekend, opening to an estimated $124.5 million domestically and $264.1 million worldwide.
The Universal release accounted for roughly 64% of the $193.5 million generated by all films in North America over the three-day frame. Rival studios largely cleared the calendar rather than compete directly with Nolan’s nearly three-hour mythological epic.
The result gave theaters a much-needed lift following softer-than-expected openings for Minions & Monsters and Disney’s live-action Moana. Overall ticket sales were also well ahead of the comparable weekend last year, when Superman led the market in its second week.
With no major wide release scheduled for next weekend, The Odyssey should remain the dominant theatrical attraction until Sony’s next Spider-Man film arrives July 31.
Nolan delivers another theatrical event
Directed, written and produced by Nolan through Syncopy, The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, whose journey home after the Trojan War becomes a decade-long battle against the gods, monsters, temptation, and his own weaknesses.
The cast also includes Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Robert Pattinson as Antinous. Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, Benny Safdie and Elliot Page round out the ensemble.
Filmed entirely using IMAX technology, the production reportedly used approximately two million feet of film. Shooting took place across Greece, Italy, Morocco, Scotland and Iceland.
With an estimated production budget of $250 million, The Odyssey is believed to be the most expensive film of Nolan’s career. Its $124.5 million domestic debut is well ahead of the $82.5 million opening earned by Oppenheimer in 2023, though it trails the filmmaker’s opening weekends for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the film’s scale, visual ambition and Damon’s central performance.
Using the industry’s traditional rule of thumb that a movie must earn approximately 2.5 times its production budget after marketing and theater splits, The Odyssey may need around $625 million worldwide to turn a profit. Its opening weekend suggests it is well positioned to clear that threshold.
‘Moana’ struggles in second weekend
Disney’s live-action Moana finished second with $19 million, dropping 56% from its opening weekend. The remake has now earned $82.1 million domestically and $178.5 million worldwide after ten days.
That domestic total is significantly behind the pace of 2024’s animated Moana 2, which had earned $259.7 million through the same point in its release.
The underperformance could add to concerns about Disney’s live-action remake strategy following the financial disappointment of Snow White. The studio still has Tangled in development, while a new version of Hercules also remains active.
‘Minions & Monsters’ remains profitable despite slowdown
Universal and Illumination’s Minions & Monsters tied for third place with $14.8 million in its third weekend, declining 30%.
The animated sequel has earned $137.6 million domestically and $357.9 million worldwide. While those numbers fall well below previous entries in the Despicable Me franchise, the movie’s reported $85 million production budget means it should still turn a profit.
The softer performance may be the result of franchise fatigue, a departure from the series’ familiar storytelling formula and competition from several family releases arriving within a short window.
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‘Toy Story 5’ becomes the year’s biggest movie
Also earning $14.8 million was Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which has now reached $430.9 million domestically and $958.4 million worldwide after 31 days.
The sequel has passed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to become the highest-grossing domestic release of 2026. It is also closing in on the $1 billion mark globally and appears likely to become the biggest film in the Toy Story franchise.
At a time when other long-running franchises are showing signs of decline, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the Pixar gang remain remarkably durable.
‘Evil Dead Burn’ tumbles
Warner Bros.’ Evil Dead Burn rounded out the top five with $5 million, falling 64% in its second weekend.
The horror sequel has earned $24.2 million domestically and $51.4 million worldwide. Its reported $20 million budget should prevent it from becoming a major financial loss, but the sharp decline raises questions about the franchise’s theatrical future.
August could push the box office past last year
Industry forecasts estimate that August 2026 could generate approximately $1.08 billion at the domestic box office. That would represent an increase of more than 50% from August 2025 and a gain of roughly 19% compared with August 2019.
Much of that optimism rests on the continued strength of The Odyssey and the arrival of Spider-Man at the end of July.
After two disappointing weekends, Nolan has given exhibitors exactly what they needed: a genuine theatrical event capable of carrying the market until the summer’s next blockbuster arrives.
