Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opens in 3,900 North American theaters today, and the numbers around this film are staggering before a single ticket is scanned: 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from 147 reviews, every IMAX 70mm screening in London sold out for the first two weeks including 4 a.m. showings, and box office projections tracking between $90 million and $120 million domestically for the opening weekend alone.
The Biggest Bet in Blockbuster Filmmaking
This is the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Nolan has called it his “longest-held ambition,” and IMAX is backing that ambition with an exclusive three-week dedication of all its screens to “The Odyssey.” That kind of platform commitment from IMAX is unprecedented. It signals that both the studio and the exhibition partner believe this film will sustain audience demand across weeks, not just an opening weekend surge.
Variety’s box office analysis projects a $90 million to $100 million domestic opening, while Deadline’s global forecast puts the worldwide opening around $200 million with $110 million expected from 73 international territories. For context, Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” opened to $82 million domestically in 2023. “The Odyssey” is tracking 20% to 45% above that.
What the Cast Brings
Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the war-weary king of Ithaca trying to get home. Tom Holland is Telemachus, his son. Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal round out the ensemble. It is one of the most stacked casts Nolan has ever assembled, and Nolan’s casts are always stacked.
The casting of Damon as Odysseus is the choice that tells you the most about what kind of film this is. Nolan did not cast a mythic figure. He cast an everyman actor known for playing competent people in survival situations. That framing, Odysseus as a practical problem-solver rather than a godlike hero, is the key to making Homer work on screen in 2026.
Why the 98% Score Matters
Nolan films are typically well-reviewed, but they rarely land in the upper 90s. “Memento” and “The Dark Knight” each hit 94%. “Oppenheimer” scored 93%. A 98% from 147 reviews is not just good. It is a signal that “The Odyssey” has connected with critics across every sensibility, from action spectacle to narrative craft to emotional resonance.
The reviews consistently point to Nolan’s use of the IMAX format not as a gimmick but as a storytelling tool. The Mediterranean sea sequences, the Cyclops encounter, and the Underworld descent are all reportedly designed to use the full IMAX frame in ways that justify the format’s existence. LNC previously covered the London premiere when Nolan debuted the film at the Odeon Leicester Square, and the critical response has only intensified since then.
The Bigger Picture for Movie Theaters
“The Odyssey” arrives at a moment when the theatrical exhibition industry needs a film exactly like this: one that cannot be replicated on a home screen. The full IMAX presentation, the three-week exclusivity window, and the kind of spectacle that requires a 70-foot screen are all arguments for why theaters still exist. Nolan has been making that argument for years. With “The Odyssey,” he may have made it definitive.
Showings begin at 2 p.m. ET today at theaters nationwide.