Nolan’s The Odyssey tops global box office as China stacks the chart
Universal’s The Odyssey opened to $263.7 million worldwide, while Chinese hits and Toy Story 5 crowded a busy global box office weekend.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey towered over the worldwide box office with an updated $263.7 million launch, according to Deadline, giving the filmmaker a record opening.
Universal’s epic pulled in $140.2 million overseas and $123.5 million in North America. Deadline reported that the foreign start was Nolan’s best to date, while the domestic figure ranks as his third-biggest opening in North America.
The film was No. 1 in most markets, according to Deadline, with Vietnam and Argentina listed as exceptions. China was not in the mix yet: The Odyssey is scheduled to open there on August 14.
China brings the muscle
While Nolan ruled globally, China filled the weekend chart with local blockbusters during its holiday period. Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer landed at No. 2 worldwide, according to AG Reports cited by Deadline.
The film earned $73.7 million in its second weekend in China, equal to 501.1 million RMB, and lifted its running total to $214.3 million, or 1.457 billion RMB.
Pearl Studio’s animated fantasy comedy All Wishes Come True, directed by Zhengxing Mu, was the No. 2 film in China and No. 6 worldwide. Deadline reported a two-day weekend of $30.6 million, or 207.8 million RMB, and a total of $39.6 million, or 269 million RMB, since its July 18 debut. The film has a 9.7 Maoyan score.
Another Chinese title, Enlight Pictures’ A Part of Me, opened with $13.6 million, or 92.4 million RMB. The female drama, written and directed by Yingxin Ma, ranked third in China and eighth globally, according to Deadline.
The top Hollywood title in China for the weekend was Universal’s Minions and Monsters, which made $3.6 million in its third weekend there. Its China total stands at $40.3 million, which Deadline said is the film’s biggest overseas territory both for the weekend and overall.
Toy Story 5 closes in on a billion
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 took third place worldwide with a $43.7 million weekend, made up of $13.76 million domestic and $30 million from 52 overseas markets.
The film has now reached $957.3 million globally. Deadline reported that it is nearing the $1 billion mark, which would make it the third film this year to pass that milestone after Universal and Illumination’s Super Mario Galaxy and Lionsgate and Universal’s Michael, which stands at $1.01 billion.
In North America, Toy Story 5 has earned $429.87 million, edging ahead of Super Mario Galaxy Movie at $429.81 million as the year’s top domestic grosser for now. Overseas, Toy Story 5 has $527.5 million, with Mexico leading outside North America at $71.4 million and the UK and Ireland next at $60.2 million.
Disney’s live-action Moana placed fourth worldwide with $42.9 million in its second weekend. The Dwayne Johnson film has $177.4 million globally, including $81 million domestic and $96.4 million internationally.
Minions and Monsters followed in fifth with $42.1 million worldwide in its third weekend. Deadline reported its global total at $358.4 million, split between $136.3 million domestic and $222 million overseas.
Hope leads Korea, horror hangs on
Na Hong-jin’s alien film Hope opened to $16.4 million in South Korea including previews, enough for seventh place globally, according to Deadline. The film, which stars Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender as aliens, premiered at Cannes. Neon has the U.S. release set for September 9.
Evil Dead Burn, from Warner Bros., StudioCanal and Sony, ranked ninth with $12.8 million worldwide in its second weekend. Its global total is now $51.4 million.
Focus Features’ Obsession rounded out the top 10 with $8.1 million worldwide and a running global total of $442.1 million, according to Deadline.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.