Christopher Nolan’s ancient epic The Odyssey hit $17.6 million in Thursday night previews, giving Universal the best preview performance for a live-action film in 2026. The figure tops earlier estimates of around $15 million and suggests a 3-day opening in the $117 million range when it opens across 3,919 theaters on Friday, July 17, 2026.
The preview total is the same as the $17.6 million The Batman earned in February 2022, and $100,000 higher than Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 recorded in 2023. Universal did not comment officially, but industry sources told Deadline the weekend forecast remains between $116 million and $120 million.
What the previews mean
“The Odyssey” is tracking to finish Friday and previews at $50 million, which would lift the 3-day to roughly $117 million. That outcome would make it the biggest U.S. opening for Matt Damon as a lead actor. His prior best, The Bourne Ultimatum, opened to $69.2 million in 2007.
The film’s preview performance also signals premium-format demand. IMAX digital screens accounted for 25% of Thursday’s gross, exhibitor-owned large-format screens contributed another 25%, and IMAX 70MM and regular 70MM showtimes added 8%. Combined, premium and large-format formats drove roughly 58% of preview ticket sales. Fandango reported The Odyssey as its top preseller of 2026, with advance sales around $30 million to $40 million.
Where it ranks in 2026
If the $117 million opening lands, The Odyssey would claim several year-to-date records:
- Best live-action opening of 2026, ahead of Lionsgate’s Michael ($97.2 million)
- Top opener for an R-rated film, ahead of Backrooms ($81.4 million)
- Third-highest opening overall in 2026, behind Toy Story 5 ($159.6 million) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131.7 million)
It would also become Universal’s highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated title, overtaking Fifty Shades of Grey ($85.1 million). For Nolan personally, it would rank as his third-largest U.S. opening after The Dark Knight Rises ($160.8 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million).
Audience reaction
Rotten Tomatoes shows The Odyssey with a 96% audience score, the highest of any Nolan film. That tops 94% scores for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Memento, and 91% for Oppenheimer. On Deadline’s own comment board, some viewers previewed the weekend by asking whether the film would cross into non-premium auditoriums, noting that many IMAX and PLF showtimes were already sold out.
If the preview data holds, the weekend’s global outlook tops $200 million.
Why It Matters
The Odyssey is shaping up as the rare prestige blockbuster that converts critical goodwill into ticket presales before critics have weighed in. For Universal, a $117 million opening would erase the risks of Nolan’s earlier departure from Warner Bros. and re-establish the filmmaker as a live-action tentpole commodity. For exhibition, heavy IMAX sell-through suggests premium formats are no longer a niche add-on but an opening-weekend core business.
