Hollywood
The Odyssey becomes Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film
Homeric epic crosses US$1.104bn globally, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises
MUMBAI: Nolan’s latest voyage has reached a rather golden shore. The Odyssey has crossed the US$1 billion mark at the global box office in less than a month, becoming the highest-grossing film of Christopher Nolan’s career.
Released on 17 July, the three-hour epic has grossed US$1.104 billion (around £819 million, A$1.56 billion) worldwide, overtaking Nolan’s previous record-holder, The Dark Knight Rises, which earned US$1.085 billion (£805.7 million). The 2008 predecessor The Dark Knight had grossed US$1.005 billion (£745 million).
Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey follows Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, as he embarks on a perilous 10-year journey home following the Trojan War. The film has received strong reviews from critics and opened at number one globally, holding the top spot for two consecutive weekends.
The box-office milestone also marks a career high for three of its leading stars. Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson have each scored their highest-grossing film with The Odyssey. The ensemble cast also includes Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o.
For Nolan, the latest success pushes the combined global gross of his films beyond US$7 billion (£5.198 billion). The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who is 56, has previously directed blockbusters including Tenet, Dunkirk and Interstellar, besides his acclaimed Batman films.
Nolan wrote and directed The Odyssey and produced the film with his wife, Emma Thomas. The film was made by production companies Syncopy and Universal Pictures and reportedly carries a production budget of US$250 million (£185 million, A$353 million), excluding marketing costs.
The film is also one of three Universal Pictures releases to cross the US$1 billion mark globally this year, alongside The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.
Universal Pictures executives have attributed the film’s performance to Nolan’s ability to turn his films into large-scale theatrical events, with audiences opting for premium formats and repeat viewings.
With The Odyssey now comfortably ahead of The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan’s latest cinematic journey has turned into his biggest box-office adventure yet.
