In its second weekend, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey delivered the biggest second weekend of the filmmaker’s career, adding an estimated $87m to stay top of the North American charts and reach $286.4m.
Beating the inflation-unadjusted $75.2m July 2008 second weekend of Nolan’s superhero adaptation The Dark Knight (which earned $114.2m in real terms) The Odyssey fell 30% from last weekend’s storming debut and plays in 3,942 sites.
In further second-weekend glory, the UK director’s latest blockbuster produced the second-highest-grossing sophomore session by an R-rated film behind Disney/Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine on $96.8m in August 2024.
It also delivered the third-highest second weekend by a film that opened on more than $100m – behind Universal’s Wicked’s four-day $97.9m Thanksgiving 2024 result (but ahead of that film’s three-day $81.2m gross) and Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick on $90m in June 2022.
The Homeric adaptation starring Matt Damon as the resourceful Greek warrior is tracking well ahead of 2023 summer smash Oppenheimer, Nolan’s first film with Universal after studio head Donna Langley scored a coup and signed him in the wake of Warner Bros’ ill-fated Covid-era theatrical distribution strategy.
Oppenheimer stood at $174.6m after a 43.4% drop in its second session and went on to gross $330.1m. The Odyssey should have little trouble overtaking that mark, but will need ongoing word of mouth and repeat viewings to finish above The Dark Knight, Nolan’s highest-grossing release in North America that opened on a higher $158.4m and finished on $533.3m.
Once again the film, the first to shoot entirely on Imax cameras, over-indexed at Imax venues. Damon and the all-star cast including Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Samantha Morton and Himesh Patel generated $24.1m from 443 screens for a 27.7% share of box office, setting the company’s biggest second-weekend take.
The 18% drop produced Imax’s best second-weekend hold on a film that opened to more than $10m in Imax venues. CEO Rich Gelfond said, “we are only beginning to see the impact that will have on our brand and business”.
Elsewhere, Disney’s live-action Moana came in second in its third weekend on $10.5m for a disappointing $102.5m after a 41% fall (the 2016 animated original stood at an inflation-unadjusted $144.7m after three), and stablemate Toy Story 5 in third place added $10m for $448.6m after a 27% fall in its sixth session and has crossed $1bn worldwide.
New opener Hadestown: The Musical, the live theatre capture of the Tony-winning stage show released by Bleecker Street, opened at number four on $9.7m from 1,949 venues. This was the second-best debut for a Broadway live capture behind Disney’s Hamilton and an endorsement of Bleecker’s event cinema division. The company and partners Crosswalk and LD Entertainment are expanding the run beyond the planned five-days.
Rounding out the top five was Universal’s Minions & Monsters on $9.6m for $155.4m after a 29% drop in the fourth session.
Olivia Wilde’s relationship comedy and Sundance hit The Invite placed sixth in its fifth weekend on $2.6m for $19.8m and the 25% drop indicates encouraging staying power for A24.
Overall weekend box office amounted to an estimated $141.6m as the year-to-date reached $5.7bn to lead 2025 by 10% at the same stage. Summer 2026 box office is at just over $3bn and leads last year’s season by 6.6%.
