Sir Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has become the biggest film of all time at the BFI Imax after generating more than £2.6 million in ticket sales.
Record-breaking run at BFI Imax
The blockbuster, which was released on July 17, is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic and follows Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. The feature film, which was shot entirely with Imax cameras, has beaten 2009’s Avatar and Sir Christopher’s 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer at the London-based cinema – which holds the UK’s largest screen.
Since its release, the film has sold more than 101,000 admissions and generated more than £2,683,987 in ticket sales with a 95% occupancy rate across all showtimes currently on sale, making it the cinema’s highest grossing film ever.
Global success and career milestone
The Odyssey has become the highest-grossing film of Sir Christopher’s career, having made more than one billion US dollars at the global box office less than a month after its release. The film, which received strong reviews from critics, has grossed more than 1.104 billion dollars (£819 million) worldwide – making it the most successful of his career. It has beaten his previous record-holder, the 2012 Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, which earned 1.085 billion dollars (£805.70 million), whilst its 2008 predecessor The Dark Knight grossed 1.005 billion dollars (£745 million).
The Odyssey debuted at number one globally and it remained in the top position for two consecutive weekends both domestically and internationally.
Cast and production details
The 56-year-old wrote and directed The Odyssey, which he also produced alongside his wife, Dame Emma Thomas, and features a star-studded cast including Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o. The three hour-long epic also stars Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson with the film becoming the highest-grossing of all three actors’ careers globally.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Sir Christopher has directed blockbusters such as Tenet, Dunkirk and Interstellar, with his movies having now grossed more than seven billion dollars (£5.198 billion) globally. He was also behind Oppenheimer, the 2023 thriller starring Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh about the scientists behind the top-secret Manhattan Project. It is the fourth highest-grossing film of Sir Christopher’s career globally. The Odyssey had a reported production budget of 250 million dollars (£185 million), excluding marketing costs, making it one of the most expensive films of Sir Christopher’s career.
