Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has reached about $1.68 billion worldwide, making it Universal Pictures’ highest-grossing film in its 114-year history
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has become Universal Pictures’ highest-grossing worldwide release, reaching approximately US$1.68 billion and claiming the top spot in the studio’s 114-year history. The milestone puts the Matt Damon-led epic ahead of Jurassic World, which established Universal’s previous record in 2015. The comparison is based on ticket revenue without adjusting for inflation.
Universal announced the achievement on September 12, confirming that the film had surpassed the US$1.677 billion benchmark. At the time, the studio projected its worldwide total would reach US$1.685 billion that weekend, including US$601.2 million from North America and US$1.083 billion from international markets. Those figures represent the milestone announcement, rather than a final theatrical total.
Adapted from Homer’s ancient Greek poem, The Odyssey follows Odysseus’ dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. Damon leads an ensemble that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron. Nolan wrote and directed the film, which he produced with Emma Thomas through their company, Syncopy.
The release adds another major commercial achievement to Nolan’s career. According to Universal, The Odyssey has become his highest-grossing film across domestic, international and worldwide markets. The studio also identified it as the highest-grossing R-rated film and the biggest release in IMAX history at the time of the announcement.
Its international performance is particularly notable. The film became the first Hollywood release that was neither a sequel nor a remake to exceed US$1 billion outside North America since Avatar. While it draws on one of literature’s best-known stories, its success offers a prominent example of a blockbuster reaching global audiences without continuing an established film series.
The achievement also strengthens Nolan’s partnership with Universal following Oppenheimer. That film earned nearly US$1 billion worldwide in 2023 and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Odyssey carries the collaboration into large-scale mythological filmmaking, with IMAX presentation central to the production and theatrical release.
NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley described the film as “a generational event that galvanizes moviegoing itself,” praising Nolan and Thomas’ work. Universal said the release had also become its highest-grossing film in 45 international markets, including Australia, France, India, Italy and Korea.
The record establishes a new worldwide benchmark for Universal, although it does not measure inflation-adjusted attendance or studio profit. Its significance is nevertheless clear: a film built around an ancient epic has surpassed the modern franchise blockbuster that held the studio’s box-office crown for more than a decade.
