The Odyssey Becomes Nolan's Top Grosser at $1.1B

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- The Odyssey hit $1.1 billion globally after four weekends ($461.1M domestic, $643.6M overseas), edging past "The Dark Knight Rises" ($1.085B) to become Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing film.
- Universal now owns Nolan's all-time top grossing film, and his movies collectively have surpassed $7 billion worldwide — "Oppenheimer" sits fourth at $975.8M WW.
- The Odyssey ranks as the second-highest-grossing R-rated movie ever both globally and domestically, trailing only "Deadpool & Wolverine" ($1.33B WW, $636.7M domestic).
- The film is the highest-grossing R-rated movie of 2026 worldwide and domestically, and marks the career-best global gross for stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson.
- It's the fifth 2026 release to cross $1 billion, with Universal claiming three of the five: The Odyssey, "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" ($1.01B), and "Michael" ($1.016B).
- Universal's domestic distribution president Jim Orr credited the result to Nolan's track record of "must-see theatrical events," noting audiences sought out premium formats and repeat viewings.
Why it matters: The milestone cements Universal's grip on Nolan's commercial filmography — the studio owns his all-time record — while proving a R-rated literary adaptation can clear $1B in four weekends. The film trails only Sony/Marvel's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" ($1.26B) as 2026's top earner, and sets new career-high marks for Damon, Hathaway, and Pattinson.
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