Odyssey beats Deadpool as top-grossing R-rated film ever
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- The Odyssey has surpassed Deadpool & Wolverine to claim the record for highest-grossing R-rated film of all time at $1.35bn (£990m) worldwide, compared with Deadpool & Wolverine's $1.34bn (£980m), per figures compiled by The Numbers.
- Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic is now the top-grossing film of his career, overtaking The Dark Knight Rises, which earned $1.082bn globally.
- Deadpool & Wolverine still leads the North American box office at $637m against The Odyssey's $516m; Odyssey's global edge comes from international markets — UK/Ireland ($92.7m), France ($69.3m), Italy ($55.6m), and China ($36.3m).
- The Motion Picture Association assigned the R-rating for "violence and some language," a category the source notes is normally treated as a brake on box office expectations; the film carries a 15 in the UK and an M in Australia.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day has topped $2bn worldwide — the second-fastest film to that mark after Avengers: Endgame in 2019 — and is currently competing with The Odyssey at the box office.
- The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope.
Why it matters: The R-rating typically caps theatrical returns, yet The Odyssey's $1.35bn haul shows filmmaker brand and Homer-grade IP can overcome that ceiling abroad — Nolan now owns both the R-rated record and his own career-high mark. The simultaneous Spider-Man: Brand New Day $2bn run makes late 2025 a high-water mark for non-family-rated theatrical revenue.
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