The Odyssey has surpassed Jurassic World as the highest-grossing Universal Pictures film of all-time just months after its release. The blockbuster, which was released on July 17, is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic and follows Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. The film, which has received strong reviews from critics, has surpassed 1.677 billion dollars (£1.24 billion) worldwide, beating 2015 adventure film Jurassic World to become Universal’s biggest film to date.
Jurassic World, which stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, grossed approximately 1.671 billion dollars (£1.23 billion) globally during its theatrical run. The Odyssey is expected to gross 1.685 billion dollars (£1.244 billion) globally this weekend, making it the 12th highest-grossing film of all time and the third-biggest non-franchise title of all time. It is the highest-grossing film of Sir Christopher Nolan’s career, having made more than one billion US dollars at the global box office less than a month after its release.
The 56-year-old wrote and directed The Odyssey, which he also produced alongside his wife, Dame Emma Thomas. Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal entertainment, said: “What Chris and Emma have created will go down as one of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed films in cinematic history. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial.
Plan auto-renews until cancelled. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. The Odyssey is a three-hour epic which features a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, as well as Tom Holland and Zendaya.
The blockbuster debuted at number one worldwide and it remained in the top position for two consecutive weekends both domestically and internationally. It recently returned to the top spot globally in its eighth weekend. It is also one of three Universal films to have grossed one billion dollars globally this year, alongside The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael.
The Odyssey had a reported production budget of 250 million dollars (£185 million), excluding marketing costs, making it one of the most expensive films of Sir Christopher’s career. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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