MOVIE NEWS – Christopher Nolan’s monumental new film The Odyssey earned $17.6 million from Thursday-night previews in North America, breaking 2026’s best preview record within hours of beginning its theatrical voyage.
The IMAX-shot adaptation of the Greek epic had been positioned as one of the year’s defining theatrical events for months, and its first box-office figures support that expectation. According to Deadline’s numbers reported by MovieWeb, the $17.6 million result narrowly surpassed the $17.5 million earned by Toy Story 5 in June. Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael ranks third with $12.5 million.
The gap itself is tiny, but the record carries weight: Nolan’s nearly three-hour historical fantasy for adult audiences attracted crowds before the full opening weekend had even begun. The story follows Odysseus on his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War, while Penelope and Telemachus struggle to keep Ithaca’s throne away from increasingly dangerous suitors.
Critics and audiences are rowing in the same direction
The financial start arrives alongside unusually strong critical agreement. At the time of the report, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 96 percent critics’ score and a 97 percent audience rating, placing the film among the best-received works of Nolan’s career. Praise has focused on the practical action, imagery captured entirely with IMAX cameras and the performances of its enormous cast.
Matt Damon leads the ensemble as Odysseus, joined by Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Jon Bernthal. Huge commercial success is hardly new territory for Nolan: both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises crossed one billion dollars, while Oppenheimer finished just below $954 million worldwide.
$17.6 million from a single night of preview screenings.
A relatively open sea for the next few weeks
Few releases of comparable size are waiting in the immediate future. The next serious challenger may be Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which also features Holland and Bernthal. Until then, The Odyssey has an opportunity to extend its advantage through premium IMAX shows as well as conventional screenings.
Source: MovieWeb
