More successful than Batman films: “The Odyssey” sets box office records for director Nolan

This is a new record for Nolan compared to the worldwide debut grosses of his Batman films “The Dark Knight Rises” ($249 million/2012) and “The Dark Knight” ($198 million/2008).

In North America alone, the weekend box office for “The Odyssey” was estimated at over $124 million. This is the best result for a live-action film this year, only surpassed by the theatrical release of the animated films “Toy Story 5” (159 million US dollars) and “The Super Mario Galaxy Film” (131 million US dollars).

Strict age restrictions in the USA

The Universal Pictures studio was initially targeting starting revenue of around $80 to $100 million for “The Odyssey” in North America, US media reported. The significantly higher result is all the more impressive because the film falls under strict age restrictions in the USA with an R rating. Young people under the age of 17 are only allowed to see the film when accompanied by an adult; in Germany it is approved for ages 12 and up.

“The Odyssey” has been in cinemas since Thursday. In the film based on Homer’s epic, Matt Damon embodies the Greek hero Odysseus on his years-long journey home after the Trojan War, marked by storms, battles and mythical dangers.

The cast of the visually stunning cinema spectacle also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron. The film was shot at many locations around the world in IMAX format, which enables particularly high resolution.