The Odyssey Dominates Box Office with Impressive Second Weekend

“The Odyssey” maintained a strong presence in North American theaters during its second weekend, generating $87 million in ticket sales. This represents only a 30% decline from its debut weekend, a remarkable feat for a blockbuster movie. It’s also Christopher Nolan’s most successful second weekend ever, not considering inflation. In comparison, “The Dark Knight” earned $75.2 million in its second weekend in 2008.

That would be an impressive opening weekend for any film, stated Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak. This underscores the excitement and enthusiasm audiences have for Nolan’s latest epic.

Globally, “The Odyssey” has amassed approximately $639.6 million, with $128.3 million coming from international markets. Theaters worldwide are increasing showtimes to cater to the high demand. Much of this revenue is driven by premium large format screens, with IMAX alone contributing $48 million globally. Notably, the 70 mm IMAX screens, limited to only 41 worldwide, generated $5.2 million, with most sessions fully booked through September.

No significant competition emerged this weekend or the previous one. Still, such earnings for a second weekend are unusual for a film that had an opening exceeding $100 million. Among R-rated films, it trails only behind “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, the situation might shift as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” releases next weekend, featuring actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, who also star in “The Odyssey.” Predictions suggest “Spider-Man” could achieve the year’s biggest opening weekend. Despite this, Nolan’s film will retain access to most IMAX screens in the upcoming weeks.

Disney takes the second and third spots with “Moana” earning $10.5 million and “Toy Story 5” close behind at $10 million. “Toy Story 5” has surpassed $1 billion in its fifth weekend, with $448 million from domestic theaters and $573 million internationally, making it the sixth Pixar film to reach this milestone. Bleecker Street’s “Hadestown: The Musical,” a live stage recording of the Broadway show, claimed fifth place with $9.7 million in its opening weekend. The production uses folk and jazz to narrate an ancient Greek story.

Olivia Wilde’s chamber dramedy “The Invite” continues to perform well in platform release, adding another $2.6 million to its total of $19.8 million. Overall, the year-to-date box office is approximately 10% ahead of last year, with the summer box office exceeding $3 billion this weekend. Before the pandemic, summer box office revenue frequently surpassed $4 billion, a feat last achieved in 2023 with “Barbenheimer.” Dergarabedian remains cautiously optimistic about reaching similar numbers this summer.

It’s a strenuous goal for August, but this could be a significant month with the continued success of ‘The Odyssey’ along with ’Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he mentioned. For ‘The Odyssey,’ it’s a marathon that will continue well into August.

Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office

With final domestic figures set for release on Monday, this list incorporates estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

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