‘The Odyssey’ Is Christopher Nolan’s Highest-Grossing Movie Ever With $1.1 Billion and Imax’s Biggest Release of All Time With $289 Million

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- "The Odyssey" crossed $1.1 billion globally, surpassing "The Dark Knight Rises" ($1.08B) to become Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing film.
- The film is also IMAX's biggest release ever at $289 million, overtaking "Avatar" ($271M), as the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
- It ranks as the second-biggest 2025 release behind "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" ($1.67B) and the second-highest-grossing R-rated film after "Deadpool and Wolverine" ($1.3B).
- Its fourth weekend generated $110 million globally ($79M overseas, $31.5M domestic), pushing cumulative totals to $461M domestic and $643M international.
- IMAX 70mm contributed $37.5 million from just 41 global locations — 14% of the company's total grosses — with many of those auditoriums sold out through September.
- The film hasn't opened in China yet (set for Aug. 14), where IMAX has roughly 800 screens; preview screenings there already generated $6.3 million.
Why it matters: With China — the world's second-largest theatrical market — still ahead of the film on Aug. 14 and ~800 IMAX screens waiting there, "The Odyssey" has clear runway past its current $1.1 billion. The milestones also lift Nolan's career cumulative to $7 billion across four films (three crossing $1B, plus Oppenheimer's $975M), reinforcing his status as IMAX's most bankable partner.
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