Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' on track for biggest second weekend of his career

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is on course to deliver the biggest second weekend of the director's career at the North American box office, with early estimates projecting an $84.5 million haul. 

According to reports, the Universal Pictures epic earned nearly $26 million on Friday and is expected to reach $84.5 million across the weekend.

If the projection holds, it will surpass the previous second-weekend record for a Nolan film, set by The Dark Knight, which earned $75.1 million during its second weekend in 2008.

Premium formats continue to drive the film's performance, with IMAX, premium large formats and 70mm screenings accounting for 58% of second-weekend ticket sales, up from 53% during its opening weekend. IMAX alone contributed 29% of the total, while premium large formats represented 22%.

Deadline also reported that The Odyssey has become the highest-grossing film ever at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles when combining current sales and advance bookings through its fifth week. The film has generated $2.48 million at the historic cinema, surpassing the previous record held by Oppenheimer, which earned $2.38 million.

Audience data suggests the film continues to attract broad interest. Men accounted for 52% of viewers during the second weekend, compared with 59% on opening weekend, while 76% of the audience remained aged over 25.

PostTrak surveys also showed high recommendation scores, with 84% of male viewers and 82% of female viewers saying they would recommend the film.

With a projected domestic total of $283.8 million by the end of its second weekend, The Odyssey remains comfortably ahead of competing releases.

Disney's Moana is expected to finish second with $10.8 million, while Toy Story 5 is projected to earn $10 million in its sixth weekend.

Among new releases, the Broadway film capture Hadestown is forecast to open between $8 million and $9 million, while IFC's Motor City is expected to debut with approximately $1.8 million. Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell is projected to open with around $625,000.

Industry observers say The Odyssey's continued momentum highlights the sustained demand for premium cinema experiences, particularly for large-scale releases designed for IMAX and 70mm exhibition.