The Odyssey just left Oppenheimer in its wake in early box office tracking
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is already leaving Oppenheimer in its wake, with early tracking pointing to an $80–100 million domestic debut for Universal’s Homer epic—before audiences have seen a single frame.
Nobody’s seen a single second of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, but that hasn’t stopped the box office hype machine from going completely overboard. Even by Nolan standards, the early forecasts are a bit mad—some insiders are saying this could launch bigger than Oppenheimer. Yes, that Oppenheimer. The one that nearly broke the internet with its 'Barbenheimer' pairing and did actual numbers Hollywood people described as 'unthinkable' just two years ago.
Big Numbers, Big Questions
According to Deadline, Universal’s take on Homer’s The Odyssey is now pegged for a massive $80 to $100 million domestic opening when it hits North American cinemas on July 17. Clearly, people are expecting something epic, and not just in the mythic Greek hero sense.
To put it in perspective: Oppenheimer—a three-hour drama about nuclear physicists—opened to $82.4 million in the US. But before it premiered, all the experts were hedging their bets, guessing it’d be lucky to break $50 million opening weekend. The final figure ended up closer to double those forecasts, with analysts debating forever about how much of that was down to the 'Barbenheimer' meme that summer.
This time around, The Odyssey doesn’t have to share the limelight with any rival blockbuster. It’s got the premium screens all to itself, so there’s no Barbie elbowing its way into the same IMAX showtimes.
See-You-Later, 70mm IMAX
If you want a sense of the hype, apparently every 70mm IMAX screen has been sold out—get this—a full year before release. That’s not a typo. Universal have also wrangled an exclusive three-week window in premium format, so you either see it big or you see it later.
And it’s not all just hype on paper; the early audience breakdown says the crowd is mostly blokes over 25, and demand is actually a touch stronger than what Nolan saw for Oppenheimer at this stage. It’s also matching early pace set by Project Hail Mary, which started its run at $80.5 million.
Homer’s Got a Few A-Listers
- Matt Damon stars as Odysseus—the famously unlucky Greek hero with a thousand terrible stories to tell
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope, the one (and only) person more patient than most Oscar voters
- Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal all turn up as supporting characters—I know, it barely fits on the poster
Frankly, Nolan could’ve cast this by picking names out of a Hollywood hat and it still would’ve been impressive. If you’re wondering if this is all just for the cinephiles, the answer is probably 'No'—this is a proper event ensemble.
Don’t Bank on a One-Weekend Wonder
Worth remembering: no matter what the opening weekend looks like, Nolan has a curious track record. His films aren’t just front-loaded; they tend to hang around at the box office for ages. This might just be the next in a very long line of films that keep drawing crowds well beyond that first splash.