The Odyssey becomes the biggest success in the history of Universal studio

In less than two months, Christopher Nolan broke a historic record held since 2015 by Jurassic World.

Christopher Nolan’s journey continues to break records.

Less than two months after its release, The Odyssey has just become the highest-grossing film in Universal Pictures history, dethroning Jurassic World. Released in 2015, Colin Trevorrow’s film grossed $1.67 billion at the global box office.

The Matt Damon-led blockbuster will gross $601.2 million in North America this weekend, plus $1.083 billion internationally, for a total of $1.68 billion at the global box office. A new record for Universal, while The Odyssey has only been in theaters for eight weeks.

“What Chris and Emma (Thomas) have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history. A generational event that galvanizes the public and pushes them to return to the cinema”welcomed Donna Langley, president of NBCUniversal Entertainment.

Filmed around the world and produced with meticulous attention to practical effects, The Odyssey recently returned to the top spot at the global box office in its eighth weekend in theaters. The film had already marked the best start of Nolan’s career, ahead of The Dark Knight Rises. It is now also his biggest personal success.

But the records don’t stop there. The Odyssey is now the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, as well as IMAX’s biggest hit ever. Adapted from a work almost 3,000 years old, it also became the first original film, excluding sequels, to exceed a billion dollars in international revenue since 2009.

This success is also a symbolic victory for Donna Langley. After Nolan’s departure from Warner Bros. in 2021, it was she who managed to attract the filmmaker to Universal. This choice had already allowed the studio to produce Oppenheimercrowned best film at the Oscars, and now The Odysseywhich in turn promises to be a serious contender for the next awards.

Thanks to Ulysses and Friends, Universal also confirms its domination of the box office in 2026: studio currently holds 26% of the American market and has generated nearly $5 billion in revenue since the start of the year.