The Odyssey Becomes Universal's Biggest Film Ever with $1.68 Billion
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is now the highest-grossing film in Universal Pictures' history, the studio announced on Saturday 12 September.
The Matt Damon-led epic had reached $1.68 billion worldwide, according to figures reported by Variety. That total breaks down as $601.2 million domestically, meaning the United States and Canada, and $1.083 billion internationally.
The worldwide figure puts it just ahead of Jurassic World's $1.67 billion global total reported by Deadline. For a non-sequel to climb that high is rare. The Odyssey is the first non-sequel to pass $1 billion overseas since 2009, according to Variety.
Staying power did it. The film reclaimed the top box office position in its eighth weekend in theatres, after opening in cinemas everywhere on 17 July 2026.
That opening was huge. It took $263.8 million at the global box office, a career-best start for Nolan ahead of The Dark Knight Rises, according to NBCUniversal. Eight weeks later, it is also Nolan's highest-grossing film ever.
The list of records keeps growing. The Odyssey is the top-grossing R-rated film in history and the biggest earner ever for IMAX. Universal presents it as the first telling of Homer's saga made for IMAX film screens.
What makes this stand out is the timing. Big films usually fade after three or four weekends. The Odyssey fell, held, then climbed back to No. 1 in week eight, including a No. 1 global finish ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in early September.
The run has powered a big year for Universal. The studio led all rivals in 2026 with 26% market share and nearly $5 billion grossed to date, Variety reported. It was the first studio this year to cross $4 billion at the global box office and the first to cross $3 billion internationally.
That wider market is strong. Hollywood's 2026 summer box office passed $4.6 billion, with analysts estimating the full-year total could top $10 billion, according to Reuters. Universal lists The Odyssey as in theatres now, so its total can still rise.
