{"id":4389,"date":"2026-07-17T23:08:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4389"},"modified":"2026-07-17T23:08:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:08:01","slug":"the-odyssey-opens-with-years-best-17-6-million-in-thursday-previews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4389","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Odyssey\u2019 opens with year\u2019s best $17.6 million in Thursday previews"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Director Christopher Nolan\u2019s long-awaited Greek epic \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d collected $17.6 million in Thursday preview screenings, the best preview total of any film in 2026 and a strong signal for an opening weekend that could reach or exceed $100 million.<\/p>\n

Read more Justice special counsel should probe Fauci<\/a><\/p>\n

The Universal Pictures release, which stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, played on roughly 3,900 North American screens Thursday night, edging out the $17.5 million previews notched by \u201cToy Story 5\u201d for the year\u2019s top mark. Box office trackers project a domestic opening between $90 million and $100 million, which would mark Mr. Nolan\u2019s biggest launch since \u201cThe Dark Knight Rises\u201d opened to $160 million in 2012.<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s Thursday result also outpaced the $10.5 million in previews posted by Mr. Nolan\u2019s last film, \u201cOppenheimer,\u201d which went on to earn $82.4 million in its opening weekend and $975 million worldwide en route to winning the Academy Award for best picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Odyssey\u201d is the first major studio release shot entirely on IMAX cameras, a distinction that has driven heavy demand for premium-format screenings. According to TheWrap, nearly 60% of Thursday\u2019s gross came from IMAX and other premium large-format screens, with some showtimes scheduled as early as 3 a.m. to accommodate demand.<\/p>\n

Critics have embraced the film. It holds a 96% \u201cfresh\u201d score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to Forbes, which noted the mark surpasses the 93% score \u201cOppenheimer\u201d received. The film carries a $250 million production budget plus an estimated $125 million in marketing costs, making it one of the most expensive R-rated films ever produced.<\/p>\n

Read more Court strikes down New Jersey\u2019s ban on AR-15 rifles and \u2018high-capacity\u2019 magazines<\/a><\/p>\n

The ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong\u2019o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal. Ms. Hathaway plays Penelope, wife of Mr. Damon\u2019s Odysseus, in the retelling of Homer\u2019s account of the Greek king\u2019s journey home after the Trojan War.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Odyssey\u201d is the only wide release in theaters this weekend, giving it sole command of the domestic box office ahead of Sony\u2019s \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day,\u201d which opens July 31.<\/p>\n

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\n This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times’ AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times’ original reporting, wire services, and\/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
\n<\/em><\/p>\n


\n The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
\n <\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Why \u2018Odyssey\u2019 stills rings true for America\u2019s combat veterans<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Director Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited Greek epic “The Odyssey” collected $17.6M in Thursday preview screenings, the best preview total of any film in 2026 and a strong signal for an opening weekend that could reach or exceed $100M.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,131],"tags":[2353,2569,2354,1363],"class_list":["post-4389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-spotlight","tag-christopher-nolan","tag-matt-damon","tag-the-odyssey","tag-universal-pictures"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018The Odyssey\u2019 opens with year\u2019s best $17.6 million in Thursday previews - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4389\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018The Odyssey\u2019 opens with year\u2019s best $17.6 million in Thursday previews - 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