“The Odyssey” hit the $1.34 billion milestone today, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. It has now surpassed 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which finished with $1.33 billion worldwide.
“The Odyssey” (2026)— $1.34B
“Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024)— $1.33B
“Joker” (2019)— $1.07B
“Oppenheimer” (2023)— $983M
“The Odyssey” is also the most successful film of Christopher Nolan’s career, and it won’t even be close. The film is currently tracking toward a $1.6 billion finish, while Nolan’s previous highest-grossing film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” made $1.08 billion.
The record is even more impressive considering “The Odyssey” isn’t a superhero sequel or an established modern IP. It’s a massive original-scale adaptation of an ancient poem, driven primarily by Nolan’s name and filmmaking brand.
What all of this means is that Nolan is now in the same position he was after “Oppenheimer”: he essentially has a blank check for his next film. He can make whatever he wants, tell whatever story he wants, and command a $250M+ budget. Universal is unlikely to say no to him. At the moment, no filmmaker in Hollywood has the kind of power and audience draw that Nolan does. Has there ever been a filmmaker with this level of influence? The closest comparison is probably Steven Spielberg in the ’80s and ’90s.
The R rating for “The Odyssey” comes just three years after “Oppenheimer” became Nolan’s first R-rated film in more than 20 years. Before that, his last R-rated film was 2002’s “Insomnia,” with “Memento” also receiving the rating earlier in his career. “The Odyssey” is only the fourth R-rated film Nolan has directed.
Domestically, however, Nolan’s epic still has some catching up to do. “The Odyssey” is currently at around $515M in North America, putting it roughly $117M behind “Deadpool & Wolverine’s” $632M domestic tally.
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