Christopher Nolan's latest film, The Odyssey, has become the highest-grossing movie of his career, clearing $1.1 billion at the global box office over the weekend. That total surpasses The Dark Knight Rises' previous mark of $1.08 billion, though the figures are not adjusted for inflation.
The film shows no signs of slowing down. It brought in $110 million domestically in its fourth weekend, a notably low week-to-week falloff for a blockbuster, and has yet to open in China, one of the world's largest film markets.
With The Odyssey's success, Nolan has now crossed $7 billion in total worldwide box office gross across his career, making him the third highest-grossing director of all time, trailing only James Cameron and Steven Spielberg. As with the film's individual total, this ranking is not adjusted for inflation.
The Odyssey also set a new record for IMAX, becoming the format's highest-grossing release ever at $289 million, overtaking Avatar's $271 million. Notably, 14% of that IMAX total came from 70mm showings, a format available in only 41 theaters worldwide. The film is also currently the second highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, behind Deadpool and Wolverine's $1.3 billion, with a real chance of overtaking it.
The Odyssey's performance is part of a broader rebound for the film industry in 2026. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has already surpassed $1.67 billion worldwide and could become the first film to reach $1 billion domestically and $3 billion globally. The domestic box office overall is on pace for its first $10 billion year since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with independent films like Obsession and Backrooms also exceeding expectations relative to their budgets.