The Odyssey Gives Christopher Nolan His Box Office Crown Back, But Don’t Put Toy Story 5 On The Shelf Just Yet
No R-rating nor nearly three-hour runtime could stop Matt Damon and The Odyssey from reigning over the Box Office this weekend. The crown was rightfully returned to Christopher Nolan’s head for his book-to-screen adaptation of the Homer epic. The film defied the limits of experts’ projections to earn $124.5 million in North America over its first three days, becoming the third-best premiere to hit the 2026 movie calendar.
Meanwhile, the family friendly flicks’ successes continued to suggest kids (and their adult companions) are escaping the summer heat by hitting the movie theater. Moana took second-place honors, but it was too close to call between Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters, which earned $14.8 million apiece. They may have tied for bronze, but the Disney/Pixar product crossed one big milestone this week and is set to make franchise history in the coming days.
Let’s get into what all of the numbers mean, but first, please take a look at what those numbers are on the Box Office Top 10 list. (* denotes a new release)
Weekend Box Office: July 17-19, 2026
|
TITLE |
WEEKEND TOTAL |
DOMESTIC TOTAL |
LAST WEEK |
THEATERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. The Odyssey* |
$124,500,000 |
$124,500,000 |
N/A |
3,919 |
|
2. Moana |
$19,000,000 |
$82,081,410 |
1 |
4,200 |
|
3. (tie) Minions & Monsters |
$14,800,000 |
$137,584,000 |
2 |
3,510 |
|
3. (tie) Toy Story 5 |
$14,800,000 |
$430,918,566 |
3 |
3,400 |
|
5. Evil Dead Burn |
$5,000,000 |
$24,151,000 |
4 |
3,004 |
|
6. The Invite |
$3,905,908 |
$15,017,888 |
6 |
2,110 |
|
7. Young Washington |
$3,678,487 |
$41,018,236 |
5 |
2,275 |
|
8. Obsession |
$2,500,000 |
$258,491,000 |
7 |
1,524 |
|
9. Supergirl |
$1,525,000 |
$69,957,000 |
8 |
1,572 |
|
10. Disclosure Day |
$1,450,000 |
$114,704,000 |
9 |
1,299 |
The Odyssey Is Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Global Debut
There are several reasons that The Odyssey earning $124.5 million this weekend (per The Numbers) is impressive — beyond the fact that high-end projections were closer to $110 million. For one, it’s the Oscar-winning director’s best three-day domestic premiere since 2012, when The Dark Knight Rises earned $160 million. Globally, it’s his best overall, adding $139.6 million internationally for a worldwide total of $264.1 million.
That massive $250 million budget isn’t looking so insurmountable now, is it? The Odyssey‘s $264.1 million global debut is better than that of The Dark Knight Rises ($249 million) and 2023’s Oppenheimer ($180 million).
Just how far could this colossal start take Christopher Nolan’s latest? Looking at recent history, Oppenheimer opened in second place to Barbie back in 2023 with a better-than-projected $82 million and stayed in theaters long enough to earn $975 million worldwide. So go, Odysseus, go!
The Odyssey Had The Best Live-Action Premiere Of 2026 So Far
Another impressive stat about the phenomenally cast epic is that it had the third-highest debut of the year so far, its $124.5 million trailing Toy Story 5’s $159 million and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s $131 million. That makes it 2026’s best live-action premiere yet, which is impressive because its R-rating puts an age limit on potential ticket-buyers.
While we were expecting review-bombing of The Odyssey because of the tweaks Christopher Nolan made to Homer’s classic, audience reaction was as high as you could hope.
How did critics and audiences score The Odyssey?
Critics’ reviews of The Odyssey were stellar, with the Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer sitting at a Certified Fresh 95% as of this writing. Audiences agreed wholeheartedly, giving the fantasy flick 97%. The story was the same over on CinemaScore, where moviegoers gave it an A.
Toy Story 5 Crosses $900 Million, With Even More Good News Coming
Minions & Monsters has been putting up a good fight since its Fourth of July release, despite lower-than-expected box office totals, even withToy Story 5 right on its tail. The Illumination product has earned $357.9 million globally so far, but it’s no match for what Jessie, Buzz and Woody have going on.
Toy Story 5 surpassed the $900M mark globally this week with a $958.4 million worldwide total. When it crosses into billion-dollar territory, it will be the franchise’s third movie to do so. Before that, though, TS5 will become the series’ highest-grossing movie domestically. Toy Story 4 currently holds that honor, having picked up $434 million during its time in North American theaters, but with the fifth movie standing at $430.9 million, a new leader seems mere days away.
Audiences Accepted The Invite For A Big Second Weekend In Wide Release
The buzz surrounding Olivia Wilde’s latest dramedy The Invite — including surprisingly great reviews for Seth Rogen movie — definitely is working to its advantage. The movie added to an additional 500 screens, allowing it a minimal 34% drop in its second weekend in wide release.
Last week’s new releases didn’t fare so well, with Moana falling 56% and Evil Dead Burn dropping 64%.
With Backrooms Out Of The Top 10, Is This The End Of Horror Summer?
The box office is in full swing (pun intended), as we prepare for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, and movie lovers are basking in a new Christopher Nolan flick, with plenty of child-approved options to fill their summer break. Is it the end of our horror-filled summer dominated by YouTubers?
Backrooms dropped out of the Top 10 this week after 52 days in release, but Obsession remains the little horror movie that could. Despite being released to stream with a Peacock subscription and now available to rent or buy, Obsession still has people choosing the big-screen experience. The $2.5 million Curry Barker’s film made this weekend alone — its 10th in theaters — is more than three times what it cost to make the movie.
Genre fans need not worry, though. Slashers may not be dominating the charts right now, but there are plenty of upcoming horror movies still to come this summer.
No Major Releases Next Week Ahead Of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Next weekend we can expect The Odyssey to make easy work of the box office again, as no major releases have been scheduled between that and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So just how much is the upcoming MCU project expected to make? Box Office Theory predicts Spider-Man: Brand New Day to earn between $212 million and $228 million in the US and Canada over its first three days. Projections have been as high as $250 million in recent weeks.
Hopefully Zendaya can keep Tom Holland from spoiling the ending until then. I hope you’ll take this next week to see something at the theater you may have missed, and then I’ll be back with you next Sunday to look all the numbers.
