Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 15
The Odyssey Targets $100 Million Opening as Universal Bets on $375 Million Spend
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 15

The Odyssey Targets $100 Million Opening as Universal Bets on $375 Million Spend

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 15

Summary

  • $90 million to $100 million is the latest projected North American opening for Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" from 3,900 theaters, putting it on track for his biggest debut since 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises."
  • Universal needs a long run because the R-rated historical epic cost $250 million to make and about $125 million to market, even as it arrives as the weekend's only major new release.
  • Imax is amplifying that launch with an exclusive three-week run on all its screens; the film is Nolan's first feature shot entirely with Imax cameras, and select 70mm tickets went on sale a year early.
  • "Oppenheimer" underpins those expectations after opening to $82 million and finishing with $975 million worldwide, while summer box office is nearing 2019 levels and pacing toward $4 billion.

Insights

Is Nolan's 'event film' a replicable blueprint for Hollywood or a unique exception to franchise dominance?
Does hyper-accurate box office forecasting help creativity, or does it ultimately stifle the industry's artistic risk-taking?
What cultural need does an epic cinematic event fulfill for audiences in the modern streaming era?