“The Odyssey” continues to captivate audiences, raking in a whopping $87 million during its second weekend at North American theaters. This impressive figure marks only a 30% drop from its opening weekend, which is an outstanding achievement for a blockbuster film. Notably, it’s the best second weekend ever for acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, surpassing his previous hit, “The Dark Knight,” which earned $75.2 million in its second weekend back in 2008.
Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, praised the film’s performance, stating, “That would be an impressive opening weekend for any film. This is a testament to the outpouring of excitement and enthusiasm that moviegoers are having for Christopher Nolan’s latest epic.”
Globally, “The Odyssey” has earned an impressive total of approximately $639.6 million, bolstered by $128.3 million from international markets. The demand for tickets is so high that theaters worldwide are adding more showtimes to accommodate eager fans. Much of the film’s success can be attributed to its screenings in premium formats, with IMAX contributing $48 million to this weekend’s earnings alone. The limited 70 mm IMAX screens, of which there are only 41 globally, accounted for $5.2 million in ticket sales, all of which are sold out for weeks to come.
The competitive landscape remains relatively light, as there were no significant new releases this weekend. This rarity for a movie with an opening gross over $100 million is notable. For R-rated films, “The Odyssey” ranks just behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” for second-weekend earnings.
However, next weekend will bring another blockbuster contender: “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which features actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, just like “The Odyssey.” Analysts predict that “Spider-Man” could potentially achieve the largest opening weekend of the year. Nevertheless, Nolan’s film will likely maintain a strong presence in IMAX theaters for weeks ahead.
Following “The Odyssey,” Disney’s animated hit “Moana” took second place with $10.5 million, while “Toy Story 5” closely followed with $10 million. “Toy Story 5” has now surpassed $1 billion in total earnings, making it the sixth Pixar film to reach this milestone.
Bleecker Street’s “Hadestown: The Musical,” a live recording of the popular Broadway show, debuted strongly at fifth place with $9.7 million. This musical creatively intertwines folk and jazz to tell an ancient Greek tale.
Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” also continues to impress with a total of $19.8 million after earning $2.6 million this weekend.
Overall, the box office this year is trending about 10% higher than last year, with this summer surpassing $3 billion in ticket sales. Historically, summer movie seasons would often exceed $4 billion, a benchmark only achieved again during the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon in 2023. Dergarabedian expresses cautious optimism that we could reach this goal again this August.
“That’s a pretty heavy lift for August, but this could be a mega August given the staying power of ‘The Odyssey’ coupled with ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” he said. “For `The Odyssey’ it’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon run that’ll play well into August.”
Here’s a look at the top 10 movies by domestic box office this weekend, as reported by Rentrak:
1. “The Odyssey,” $87 million.
2. “Moana,” $10.5 million.
3. “Toy Story 5,” $10 million.
4. “Minions & Monsters,” $9.7 million.
5. “Hadestown,” $9.6 million.
6. “The Invite,” $2.6 million.
7. “Evil Dead Burn,” $2.6 million.
8. “Young Washington,” $2 million.
9. “Motor City,” $1.6 million.
10. “Obsession,” $1.5 million.
