Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey posted the highest preview gross of 2026 so far with $17.6 million on Thursday night. Universal projects a $50 million first Friday that would deliver a $117 million domestic opening weekend.
The R-rated epic is playing in 3,919 theaters. Advance ticket sales reached $30 million to $40 million before opening, with strong demand for IMAX and premium large-format screens.
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya as Athena and Tom Holland as Telemachus. It marks Nolan’s third collaboration with Damon after Interstellar and Oppenheimer.
The Odyssey ranks as the third-biggest opening projected for Nolan behind The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight. It is also on pace for Universal’s highest R-rated opening weekend to date.
