“The Odyssey” has officially become the highest-grossing film of Christopher Nolan’s career, surpassing $1.104 billion at the global box office less than four weeks after its theatrical release.
The blockbuster, which premiered in theaters on July 17, is an ambitious adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, following his perilous, decade-long journey home after the fall of Troy.
‘The Odyssey’ surpasses ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
The film, which has received strong reviews from international media, has broken Nolan’s previous box-office record, set by 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”
That film had earned $1.085 billion worldwide, while “The Dark Knight,” released in 2008, had grossed $1.005 billion.
With the new success of “The Odyssey,” the combined worldwide box-office earnings of films directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker have now exceeded $7 billion. His filmography includes “Tenet,” “Dunkirk” and “Interstellar.”
Nolan, 56, wrote and directed the three-hour epic and also produced it alongside his wife, Emma Thomas.
The film features an ensemble cast including Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson. “The Odyssey” is now the highest-grossing film of all three actors’ careers. The cast also includes Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o.
Two weekends at No. 1
“The Odyssey” opened at No. 1 at the global box office and remained at the top for two consecutive weekends.
The film is a co-production between Syncopy and Universal Pictures and is one of three Universal films to surpass $1 billion at the worldwide box office this year, alongside “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael.”
The film’s production budget is estimated at $250 million, excluding promotion and marketing costs, making it one of the most expensive productions of Nolan’s career.
