The Odyssey still has a long way to go at the box office to break even despite a strong preview opening. A new report states that Christopher Nolan‘s new movie still needs to earn hundreds of millions of dollars to cover its production and marketing costs.
How much money does The Odyssey need in order to break even?
Nolan’s retelling of the Greek epic is finally out in theaters. In previews, the movie earned $17.6 million at the domestic box office. It has also earned $21.3 million internationally, bringing its global total to $38.9 million. This marks the biggest Thursday preview gross of the year, surpassing Toy Story 5‘s previous record of $17.5 million.
However, according to Variety, the film was made with a production budget of $250 million, with $125 million in marketing costs. So, to break even, The Odyssey must earn $375 million at the box office. The film has generated strong pre-release buzz, which could help its box office performance.
As per the report, the movie is estimated to earn between $90 million and $100 million during its opening weekend. This would mark one of Nolan’s biggest openings, though it would still trail The Dark Knight Rises’ $160 million debut. If the film exceeds projections and crosses $100 million, it would become the third release this year to reach that milestone, alongside Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Comparatively, Nolan’s previous blockbuster, Oppenheimer, earned $10.5 million in previews and $82 million in its opening weekend. It grossed more than $975 million worldwide by the end of its theatrical run.
Ticket sales for The Odyssey’s IMAX screenings first opened nearly a year ago. The movie is shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film, which has created its own buzz around acquiring tickets to witness the director’s latest creation as intended. Ultimately, meeting or even surpassing the estimates would not be a problem for the Damon-led movie.
In addition, early screenings of the movie received positive reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 96% Tomatometer score and a 97% Popcornmeter score, marking Nolan’s highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes.
