Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster didn't simply beat expectations—it transformed the weekend box office.
Before release, analysts expected The Odyssey (2026) to earn between $85 million and $100 million in its domestic debut. Those estimates quickly became irrelevant once the film opened to $124.5 million in North America and $264.1 million globally, according to Variety. The launch stands as Nolan's strongest opening since The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and trails only Toy Story 5 (2026) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) among this year's biggest domestic debuts.
Nolan's Event Film Drew Audiences in Huge Numbers
Several ingredients combined to push The Odyssey beyond every major projection. Following the success of Oppenheimer (2023), Nolan entered the release weekend with considerable goodwill among audiences, while positive reviews and audience reactions generated enthusiasm before the nationwide rollout.
Universal further separated the film from its competition by promoting its status as the first movie photographed entirely using IMAX cameras.
Although the project carried commercial hurdles—including an R rating, an almost three-hour runtime, and a historical epic narrative—it instead became a destination theatrical experience that encouraged audiences to seek out premium presentations.
IMAX Delivered a Major Share of Revenue
According to Variety, premium auditoriums represented more than half of the domestic gross. “Premium large formats contributed a massive 53% of the film’s domestic tally, with IMAX accounting for $51.8 million (or 23%) of global ticket sales,” Variety noted.
Interest in 70mm IMAX engagements remained so high that many screenings sold out well before release, prompting moviegoers to travel long distances to secure tickets. That level of demand also meant competing releases would soon lose access to many of their highest-earning auditoriums.
Moana Entered Weekend Two Under Pressure
Disney's remake, starring Catherine Laga'aia (Moana) and Dwayne Johnson (Maui), opened with approximately $43 million across three days domestically, expanding to roughly $47.5 million over the four-day holiday frame. Worldwide, the film reached $95 million against a reported production budget between $200 million and $250 million before marketing.
Those figures stand in sharp contrast to Moana 2 (2024), which debuted to $389 million globally before finishing its run above $1 billion worldwide.
The critical response further complicated the picture. At launch, Moana earned a 36% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. That figure has since fallen to 31%, while audience approval sits at 89%. Even Snow White (2025), with a 39% critics' score, received a warmer critical reception, leaving Moana as Disney's lowest-rated theatrical live-action remake.
Premium Screens Shifted Away From Disney
Before official second-weekend numbers were available, Disney had targeted roughly a 55% drop, which would have translated to about $20 million domestically.
Industry observers cautioned that losing IMAX and premium large-format auditoriums to The Odyssey could significantly affect the film's earning potential because premium ticket prices had boosted first-week revenue. The final results aligned with those concerns. Box Office Mojo reported that Moana fell 58.4% in its second weekend, collecting $17.9 million domestically.
With Universal taking back nearly all IMAX and premium screens, Disney's remake no longer had access to the formats that generated some of its strongest ticket sales, making it more difficult to maintain momentum against Nolan's blockbuster.
A Tale of Two Box Office Stories
For Universal, The Odyssey represents another major theatrical victory, demonstrating that audiences continue to support large-scale films designed for premium cinema experiences.
For Disney, the picture is considerably less encouraging. Analysts believe the combination of muted opening-weekend revenue, disappointing reviews, premium-format losses, and direct competition could leave the studio facing millions in theatrical losses if current trends continue.
The outcome also follows Snow White‘s commercial struggles, adding more scrutiny to Disney's live-action remake slate.
Moviegoers planning to see The Odyssey should expect premium formats, particularly 70mm IMAX screenings, to remain in high demand and book accordingly. Those interested in Moana will likely find the film playing primarily in standard auditoriums after premium formats shifted to Nolan's release. From an industry perspective, the weekend reinforces two emerging trends: Disney's recent live-action remakes continue to face commercial headwinds, while premium-format exclusivity is increasingly shaping a film's performance beyond opening weekend.
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