Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" stormed to the top of Friday's box office charts, pulling in $51 million from 3,919 North American screens. The epic adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek poem exceeded early projections and now appears headed for a weekend total as high as $120 million.
Initial forecasts had the saga grossing between $90 million and $100 million by Sunday. However, the film's stellar opening day performance prompted analysts to revise their estimates upward significantly.
A Milestone for Nolan
Should "The Odyssey" reach the $120 million mark, it would represent Nolan's strongest opening weekend since "The Dark Knight Rises" debuted to $160 million in 2012. The figure also dwarfs the opening weekend of his 2023 best picture winner, "Oppenheimer," which launched with $82 million before eventually accumulating $975 million globally.
"The Odyssey" is on track to become the third 2026 release to open above $100 million, joining "Toy Story 5," which opened to $159 million, and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," which launched with $131 million. The film carries a production budget of $250 million.
Based on Homer's epic, the film follows Odysseus on his perilous journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. Matt Damon leads the production in the role of Odysseus, supported by a cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, and John Leguizamo.
"Moana" Slips in Second Weekend
The live-action "Moana" remake settled for second place on Friday, earning $5.5 million as it entered its second weekend in North American theaters. Rival projections suggest the film will collect approximately $19 million by Sunday, marking a 56% decline from its soft $43 million domestic debut.
With a $250 million production budget, "Moana" could lose roughly $100 million for Disney if attendance does not improve. While such recoveries are uncommon, they are not unheard of. Disney's "Mufasa," a live-action "Lion King" spinoff, opened to just $34 million in 2024 but ultimately grossed $722 million worldwide. That film, however, benefited from a Christmas release that gave it a clear runway through the typically slow months of January and February. "Moana" faces stiffer competition from "Toy Story 5" and "Minions & Monsters."
Animated Holdovers Round Out the Top Five
"Minions & Monsters" claimed third place on Friday, adding $4.3 million domestically. The animated adventure is projected to earn $14 million through Sunday, bringing its domestic total to approximately $136 million after three weekends. While that makes it one of the lowest earners in the franchise, its modest $85 million production budget means Universal does not need much more to push the film into profitability.
"Toy Story 5" landed in fourth with $4.2 million on Friday. The Pixar sequel is expected to gross about $13.8 million by Sunday, pushing its North American total to roughly $429 million through five weekends of release.
Rounding out the top five, "Evil Dead Burn" earned an estimated $1.4 million domestically on Friday. By the end of the weekend, the horror film should reach approximately $4.7 million, bringing its domestic cumulative to around $23 million.
As "The Odyssey" looks set to dominate the weekend and potentially reshape 2026's box office landscape, all eyes are on whether Nolan's latest epic can sustain its momentum in the weeks ahead. Will it rival the staying power of "Oppenheimer," or will competition from upcoming releases cut its run short? Share this article with fellow film enthusiasts and let us know your predictions for "The Odyssey" at the box office.
Source: Variety
