Christopher Nolan has conquered the box office once again. The Odyssey is now officially the biggest movie of the filmmaker’s career.
The mythological epic has sailed beyond US$1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. It has now overtaken The Dark Knight Rises as Nolan’s highest-grossing film ever.
It’s a remarkable achievement for an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic. It also proves audiences will still turn out in huge numbers for a genuine big-screen event.
The Odyssey Becomes Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Film
Released in July, The Odyssey quickly became one of the biggest films of 2026.
The film has now earned more than US$1.1 billion worldwide. That takes it past The Dark Knight Rises, which earned around US$1.08 billion globally.
It means an ancient story has beaten Batman to become Nolan’s biggest movie.
The Odyssey now sits ahead of Oppenheimer, Inception, Interstellar and the rest of Nolan’s extraordinary filmography.
The result also shows just how powerful Nolan’s name has become. This isn’t an established superhero series or a long-running Hollywood franchise.
For many moviegoers, Christopher Nolan himself is now the attraction.
Matt Damon as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
The Odyssey Smashes the All-Time IMAX Record
The worldwide box office isn’t the only record falling.
The Odyssey has earned around US$289 million from IMAX screens worldwide. That makes it the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time.
It’s a fitting achievement for Nolan. He has spent years pushing the format with films such as The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Dunkirk and Oppenheimer.
With The Odyssey, he went even further.
The movie became the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema once again joined Nolan behind the camera.
Together, they captured the vast landscapes and huge practical scale of Odysseus’ journey.
Audiences clearly got the message. IMAX contributed an incredible US$52 million to the film’s worldwide opening weekend alone.
Christopher Nolan on the set of The Odyssey with an IMAX film camera.
Go Behind the Scenes of The Odyssey
A new behind-the-scenes featurette gives audiences a closer look at Nolan’s enormous production.
A Look Inside takes viewers onto the set of The Odyssey. It shows the practical locations, huge cast and IMAX cameras used during filming.
Watch A Look Inside below.
Australian Audiences Were On Board From Day One
Australia has also played a major part in the film’s success.
The Odyssey opened at number one locally with $13.44 million from Thursday to Sunday. It was the biggest Australian opening weekend of 2026.
It was also Universal Pictures’ third-biggest opening weekend ever in Australia. Only Jurassic World and Fast & Furious 7 opened higher.
Australian audiences also embraced the film’s premium formats. IMAX, IMAX 70mm, 70mm and 4DX all contributed to the huge opening.
Cinemas even added midnight and early-morning sessions to keep up with demand.
You can read more in our The Odyssey Australian box office report.
Matt Damon and Zendaya in The Odyssey
From Oppenheimer to The Odyssey
The record continues an extraordinary run for Nolan following 2023’s Oppenheimer.
That film earned almost US$1 billion worldwide. It also won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Nolan’s first Oscar for Best Director.
Rather than following it with something smaller, Nolan went considerably bigger.
His adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey turns the legendary tale into a massive cinematic adventure.
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the Greek king trying to return home after the Trojan War.
His journey brings him face-to-face with gods, monsters and seemingly impossible challenges.
The huge cast also includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway in The Odyssey.
We Called It Nolan’s Strongest Film Yet
The huge box office has been matched by a strong response from critics and audiences.
We were certainly among the film’s admirers.
In our The Odyssey review, we awarded the film 9/10. We also called it Nolan’s strongest film to date.
We praised Damon’s performance as Odysseus, the practical filmmaking and the incredible scale of the IMAX presentation.
Our biggest complaint? Nolan’s notoriously aggressive sound mixing hasn’t gone anywhere.
Even that couldn’t ruin what we called one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences in recent memory.
A Huge Win for the Big Screen
Perhaps the most interesting part of The Odyssey’s success is the movie itself.
This isn’t a sequel. It isn’t a superhero movie. It isn’t a remake of an existing Hollywood hit.
It’s Christopher Nolan’s take on an ancient Greek epic. Matt Damon leads the cast, while Nolan presents the story as a huge theatrical spectacle.
The success of The Odyssey also follows the remarkable run of Oppenheimer.
Both films show that audiences will embrace ambitious filmmaking. They simply need a compelling reason to leave home and visit a cinema.
Christopher Nolan filming Matt Damon and Zendaya on location for The Odyssey.
More than US$1.1 billion later, it’s difficult to argue with the result.
Nolan set out to bring one of history’s greatest journeys to the biggest screens possible.
In the process, The Odyssey has completed another journey of its own.
It has become the biggest film of Christopher Nolan’s career.
The Odyssey is in cinemas now.
