The Odyssey Draws Strong Audience in Second Weekend

“The Odyssey” continues to captivate audiences in North American theaters, generating $87 million during its second weekend, according to studio estimates released Sunday. This is a modest 30% decrease from its debut, which is impressive for a blockbuster film.

The film marks Christopher Nolan’s best performance in a second weekend, without considering inflation. Comparatively, in 2008, “The Dark Knight” earned $75.2 million during its second weekend.

“That would be an impressive opening weekend for any film,” stated Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak. “This highlights the enthusiasm and excitement moviegoers are experiencing for Christopher Nolan’s latest epic.”

So far, “The Odyssey” has reached an estimated $639.6 million globally, with $128.3 million coming from international theaters. To meet viewer demand, theaters worldwide are adding more showtimes. Premium large format screens contribute significantly to these earnings, with IMAX screens alone accounting for $48 million this weekend. The scarce 70 mm IMAX screens, totaling only 41 globally, generated $5.2 million, with most showtimes selling out through September, the company noted.

There was little significant new competition in cinemas this weekend or the one before. Still, achieving a second weekend of earnings this size is uncommon for movies initially grossing more than $100 million. For R-rated films, it ranks second only to “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

The upcoming weekend presents another blockbuster, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” featuring Tom Holland and Zendaya, also involved in “The Odyssey.” Analysts predict this might achieve the year’s largest opening weekend. Nevertheless, Nolan’s film will retain many IMAX screenings for a few more weeks.

In second and third place, Disney’s “Moana” grossed $10.5 million, and “Toy Story 5” followed closely with $10 million. “Toy Story 5” has surpassed $1 billion, with $448 million in domestic earnings and $573 million internationally, marking it as the sixth Pixar movie to hit this milestone.

Bleecker Street premiered “Hadestown: The Musical,” a live stage recording, securing $9.7 million in its first weekend. The Broadway hit combines folk and jazz to narrate an ancient Greek story. Additionally, Olivia Wilde’s chamber dramedy “The Invite” continues to perform well with $2.6 million, bringing its total to $19.8 million.

This year, the overall box office is running about 10% ahead of last year. As of this weekend, the summer box office exceeded $3 billion. Pre-pandemic summer movie seasons regularly topped $4 billion, and the only occurrence since was the “Barbenheimer” in 2023. Dergarabedian cautiously anticipates a potential return to those figures this summer.

“Achieving that in August is challenging, but this could be a significant month, given ‘The Odyssey’s’ momentum combined with ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’” he said. “For ‘The Odyssey,’ it’s a marathon, a journey expected to extend well into August.”

Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office:

1. “The Odyssey,” $87 million.
2. “Moana,” $10.5 million.
3. “Toy Story 5,” $10 million.
4. “Minions & Monsters,” $9.7 million.
5. “Hadestown,” $9.6 million.
6. “The Invite,” $2.6 million.
7. “Evil Dead Burn,” $2.6 million.
8. “Young Washington,” $2 million.
9. “Motor City,” $1.6 million.
10. “Obsession,” $1.5 million.