Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Eyes $200M+ Global Opening

Courtesy of Universal.

A year after 70mm IMAX screenings began selling out, Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is finally arriving in cinemas, with the Universal epic projected to open above $200 million worldwide.

The film is currently tracking for an $85 million to $100 million domestic debut, alongside roughly $110 million from 73 international markets and 22,700 screens. South Korea, Japan and China will open at a later date.

For comparison, ‘Oppenheimer’ launched with $181.1 million globally, including $98.7 million overseas. Unlike that film, which opened alongside ‘Barbie,’ ‘The Odyssey’ faces no major new studio competition this weekend.

The three-hour, R-rated adaptation of Homer’s epic poem stars Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal and Lupita Nyong’o. U.S. previews begin Thursday at 2 p.m.

Advance ticket sales are estimated at between $30 million and $40 million, although some of those bookings are for screenings beyond opening weekend. Demand has been particularly strong for IMAX, with 70mm showtimes at venues including London’s BFI IMAX, the Science Museum, Melbourne Museum IMAX and Prague’s Oskar IMAX Plaza selling out months in advance.

Even if ‘The Odyssey’ opens at the lower end of projections, Nolan’s films are known for strong staying power. ‘Oppenheimer’ finished with $330 million domestically after an $82.4 million opening.

Early media reactions have been positive, with the film already generating awards-season buzz.

The release also gives Zendaya and Tom Holland two major films within a month. The married co-stars appear in ‘The Odyssey’ without sharing scenes and will reunite in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ on July 31.

Nolan’s films have earned more than $6 billion worldwide, winning 18 Oscars from 49 nominations.


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