Tickets for screenings of 'The Odyssey' at the British Film Institute's IMAX (70mm) in London have sold out through September, even though the film has only been showing for a few days.

This scene sums up the scale of the phenomenon the film has created worldwide, as it has brought audiences back to theaters in unusual numbers to experience it, reflected in a global opening of $264.1 million, the largest in British director Christopher Nolan's career.

Internationally, the United Kingdom topped the list of the film's largest overseas markets with revenues of $17.4 million, followed by France with $13.7 million, then Italy with $11.5 million. Australia ranked fourth with $9.3 million, and Germany fifth with $8.1 million.

India ranked sixth with revenues of $7.3 million, slightly ahead of Mexico which recorded $7 million. Spain came eighth with $5.2 million, followed by Brazil with $4.8 million, while the United Arab Emirates ranked tenth globally with revenues of $3 million, making it the only Arab market among the top ten markets for the film in its opening.

This geographic spread reflects the breadth of Nolan's fan base, as the film did not rely on the US market alone but achieved a strong presence in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, giving it significant opportunities to continue growing in the coming weeks, especially given limited direct competition at present.

This achievement marks a new milestone in Nolan's commercial career, as 'The Odyssey' has become the largest global opening in his history, surpassing the numbers of 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Oppenheimer', a new indicator of the director's ability to draw audiences to theaters even with original works or literary adaptations far from superhero franchises.

Mon, 20 2026

Cinema experts told 'Al-Eqtisadiah' that 'The Odyssey' is expected to perform even stronger in its second week at the Saudi box office, based on their reading of booking activity on local cinema platforms.

They explained that seat availability was relatively noticeable during the first week, but the situation completely changed after the widespread buzz surrounding the film, as seats are now booked within seconds of the new schedule being released.

They pointed out that this is evidence of rising audience demand as momentum shifts from initial curiosity to viewer recommendations and positive feedback, suggesting the film will continue to achieve strong growth in the coming days.