Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey becomes highest-grossing R

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has set a new box office record, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever after its worldwide earnings reached $1.352 billion.

The film has overtaken Deadpool & Wolverine, which finished its 2024 theatrical run with $1.338 billion globally. The milestone makes Nolan’s Greek mythology epic only the third R-rated film to cross the $1 billion mark, following Deadpool & Wolverine and Joker.

Based on Homer’s nearly 3,000-year-old epic poem, The Odyssey arrived in theatres on July 17. The film has so far earned $516 million in the domestic market and another $835 million internationally.

The movie has continued its strong theatrical run even with the arrival of other major releases, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Its scale has also been a major talking point, with the production becoming the first film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras.

The latest milestone also makes The Odyssey the biggest box office success of Nolan’s career, surpassing the $1.08 billion worldwide earnings of his 2012 superhero film The Dark Knight Rises.

The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca who embarks on a dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. Anne Hathaway plays his wife Penelope, while Tom Holland portrays their son Telemachus.

The ensemble cast includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo.