The Odyssey Grosses $15 Million in Previews, Best 2026 Live-Action Start

Q: Can Nolan's $375M epic draw mainstream audiences beyond the initial IMAX hype?

Yes — the early evidence suggests *The Odyssey* can reach well beyond the IMAX core, though the real proof will be its hold after opening weekend. The strongest sign is that demand is not being driven by hype alone. Preview sales are heading to about $15 million, ahead of *Oppenheimer* and *Dune: Part Two*, while advance sales of $30 million to $40 million indicate broad pre-release interest. Just as important, the film has exceptional reception: 96% from critics and 96% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Nolan’s best-reviewed crowd responses. That kind of approval is what turns an event opening into a mainstream run. Nolan also has recent evidence on his side. *Oppenheimer*, another long, adult-skewing, R-rated prestige epic, broke out far beyond cinephiles and earned sustained business through word of mouth. *The Odyssey* has similar advantages, plus a more overtly accessible hook: a famous story, a star-heavy cast led by Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland and Zendaya, and a spectacle-driven presentation that theaters can market as a must-see event. The risk is that premium formats are doing much of the early heavy lifting. With a reported $375 million all-in cost, the film cannot rely only on sold-out IMAX 70MM shows. It needs strong turnout in standard auditoriums and solid second- and third-weekend drops. If mainstream audiences respond to the story and not just the format, the current numbers suggest it has a real path to doing that.

2 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jul 17

$15 million in Thursday previews put Universal's The Odyssey on track for the strongest live-action preview haul of 2026, topping Michael's $12.6 million.
The early total is also ahead of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer at $10.5 million, while a 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score marks the director's best audience rating yet.
$30 million to $40 million in advance ticket sales and year-ahead sellouts for Imax 70MM showings suggest demand is concentrated in premium formats, leaving the weekend question whether the film broadens beyond them.
That preview result sits just below Avatar: The Way of Water's $17 million and above Dune: Part Two's $12 million, pointing to a potentially large opening if premium demand carries through.