Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' Hits $1.1 Billion, Sets Career Record

The film, released July 17, has grossed $1.104 billion worldwide in under a month, according to studio figures. It overtakes "The Dark Knight Rises" ($1.085 billion) and "The Dark Knight" ($1.005 billion) as Nolan's top earner, pushing his cumulative directorial gross past $7 billion.

Based on Homer's poem, the three-hour epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on a perilous 10-year voyage home after the Trojan War. The $250 million production, excluding marketing, also features Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o.

The movie opened at No. 1 worldwide and held the top spot for two consecutive weekends. It is the third Universal Pictures title to cross $1 billion this year, after "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and "Michael."

Universal distribution executives Jim Orr and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg credited the film's success to Nolan's track record of event-level cinema and its broad international appeal. The milestone marks the highest-grossing release for lead actors Damon, Hathaway, and Pattinson.

Nolan, 56, wrote, directed, and produced the adaptation with his wife Emma Thomas under their Syncopy banner. The film's performance underscores ongoing audience demand for director-driven, large-format theatrical experiences.