The Odyssey box office run holds with $87 million second weekend
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey fell just 30% in its second weekend as its global total reached $639.6 million, Variety reported.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey box office run stayed mighty in its second weekend, taking in $87 million in North American theaters, according to Variety’s Rebecca Rubin.
The Universal release, an R-rated big-budget adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, dropped 30% from its $123.5 million opening weekend. Variety noted that many major films opening above $100 million tend to fall by 50% or more in their second weekends.
After two weekends, The Odyssey has earned $286.4 million in North America and $639.6 million worldwide, Variety reported. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the Greek king at the center of the story.
How much has The Odyssey made at the box office?
The Odyssey has grossed $286.4 million domestically and $639.6 million globally after two weekends, according to Variety. Its second-weekend haul in North America was $87 million.
The film’s hold gives Universal a powerful summer run for one of the year’s priciest releases. Variety reported that the studio spent $250 million making the movie and about $125 million marketing it.
Premium large-format screens, including Imax, are helping fuel demand, Variety reported. The outlet also pointed to strong audience reaction as a reason the movie is expected to keep drawing crowds through summer and into fall.
The next test arrives with Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, starring Tom Holland and Zendaya. Variety reported that the Marvel movie could pull attention from The Odyssey, while exhibitors are pleased by the chance to have two high-profile films boosting business during August, a month that is often slower for theaters.
What is The Odyssey movie about?
The Odyssey is Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem. The story follows Odysseus, played by Damon, whose mythic journey has made the tale one of the best-known works in classical literature.
Greek mythology also showed up elsewhere in the weekend top five. Hadestown: The Musical, a filmed version of the Broadway production, opened with $9.6 million from 1,949 theaters, according to Variety.
Hadestown retells the myth of Orpheus, a musician who travels to the underworld to save Eurydice, his fiancée. Variety compared its launch with other stage-to-screen releases: Hamilton opened with $10.1 million from 1,825 screens, while Waitress: The Musical began with $2.6 million and Merrily We Roll Along opened with $1.3 million.
The Hadestown theatrical run had been planned for five days. Because of demand, Variety reported that Crosswalk and LD Entertainment, which released the film with Bleecker Street, are extending the run and adding more dates and showtimes.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.