The Odyssey North America Box Office: Projected For A $100 Million Debut—Here’s What It Needs To Become Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Opening

The Odyssey is projected to earn $100 million in its opening weekend in North America. Here’s what it needs to earn to become Christopher Nolan’s biggest domestic debut ever.

- July 16, 2026 | 2:38 PM IST

The Odyssey North America Box Office (Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)

Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic fantasy action film, The Odyssey, is set to hit theaters on July 17, 2026. It currently holds a stellar 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is even better than the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s previous directorial effort, Oppenheimer, which has a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Since Oppenheimer turned out to be a major blockbuster and earned an impressive $975.8 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, all eyes are now on whether The Odyssey can replicate its commercial success. Considering the massive buzz and latest projections, it looks like the Matt Damon-starrer is on the right track to set the box office on fire.

Projected To Deliver A $90-100 Million Opening (North America)

According to a recent projection by Variety, The Odyssey is expected to earn between $90 million and $100 million in its opening weekend in North America. If it meets the upper end of these projections, it will become the third film of 2026 to hit the $100 million domestic debut mark, after Toy Story 5 ($159.7 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131.7 million).

Now, the big question is, what would The Odyssey need to earn in its opening weekend to become the biggest domestic debut of Christopher Nolan’s career? Let’s break down the numbers.

Christopher Nolan’s Top 5 Biggest Openings (North America)

Let’s take a look at the top five biggest domestic openings of the films directed by Christopher Nolan, according to data from Box Office Mojo.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012): $160.9 million
The Dark Knight (2008): $158.4 million
Oppenheimer (2023): $82.5 million
Inception (2010): $62.8 million
Dunkirk (2017): $50.5 million

What The Above Numbers Indicate

The above figures suggest that The Odyssey would need to earn more than $160.9 million in its opening weekend to become Christopher Nolan’s biggest domestic debut of all time. However, based on its current projection in the $90-100 million range, it appears unlikely to achieve that milestone. That said, it looks well-positioned to beat Oppenheimer’s $82.5 million domestic debut. The outcome will become clear in the next few days.

What Is The Odyssey All About?

The epic fantasy action film features Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, who wants to return home after the Trojan War. During his long and arduous journey, he comes across dangerous obstacles and mythical creatures. Meanwhile, his family has been waiting for his return for many years and is not even sure whether he is alive or not.