The Odyssey Box Office Breaks All-Time Christopher Nolan Record In Just 24 Days

Published Aug 9, 2026, 10:39 AM EDT Brennan Klein (he/him) is a senior news writer at Screen Rant, host of the Attack of the Queerwolf podcast, and contributor at Alternate Ending and Horror Press. He has been writing and podcasting about pop culture (especially horror movies) for over a decade at platforms including Blumhouse, Fangoria, Dread Central, The Backlot, and Arrow in the Head. The Odyssey's box office journey has taken it farther than any of its predecessors. 2026's The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer's epic poem of the same name that was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the two-time Oscar winner behind Inception, Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and the Dark Knight trilogy. The movie, which features a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, and many more, has broken numerous box office records since it debuted on July 17. This includes recently becoming Nolan's first non-Batman movie to gross more than $1 billion worldwide. Now, per The Hollywood Reporter, The Odyssey has climbed to a cumulative global gross of $1.104 billion (comprising $461.1 million domestically and $642.9 million internationally), which makes it the highest-grossing Christopher Nolan movie of all time, not adjusted for inflation. It has surpassed the total worldwide hauls of both of the director's previous billion-dollar movies, namely 2008's The Dark Knight ($1.008 billion) and 2012's The Dark Knight Rises ($1.085 billion). When the all-time chart for Christopher Nolan movies is adjusted for inflation, The Odyssey still has a way to climb if it hopes to match the worldwide gross of either of those previous titles. Adjusted, The Dark Knight earned roughly $1.53 billion while The Dark Knight Rises made $1.58 billion. In fact, given the rapid inflation in the United States in recent years, when Oppenheimer's total is adjusted, even that non-billion-dollar title earned $1.066 billion. While The Odyssey has already surpassed that total, when the writer-director's entire filmography is adjusted for inflation, 2010's Inception ($839.8 million) also joins the billion-dollar club, hitting a total of $1.29 billion, which is a benchmark that the new movie still has yet to reach. However, no other Christopher Nolan movies have crossed that milestone, even with inflation adjustments. It ultimately remains to be seen how high The Odyssey can climb by the end of its run, as it has accomplished this record after just 24 days in theaters. Given its current trajectory, it could race past Inception to quickly become the third highest-grossing Nolan movie on the inflation-adjusted chart. Its climb is also being facilitated by the fact that it is playing on a variety of premium large format screens. As the first movie to be shot in its entirety on IMAX 70 mm film cameras, it has developed a reputation for needing to be seen in the biggest format possible. Because those ticket prices are higher, this could give the movie the additional boost it needs to keep rising through the ranks after outgrossing Inception. In doing so, it would maintain its place as Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing non-Batman movie. Additionally, even if the movie doesn't end up topping the inflation-adjusted chart, it is still a major hit in and of itself. The reported budget of The Odyssey is huge, hitting $250 million, which could place its estimated break-even point as high as $625 million. It has already long since surpassed that benchmark and, given its current trajectory, it could potentially double that number by the time its run has concluded. Enjoy ScreenRant's box office coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly box office newsletter (make sure to check "Box Office" in your preferences) and get exclusive analysis, predictions, and more: Sign Up