Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has become the highest-grossing film in the history of Universal Pictures, overtaking the $1.67 billion global record set by "Jurassic World" in 2015. The studio's film had already dominated the summer box office for months before reaching the milestone.
The record fell during the film's ninth week in theaters, entertainment outlet The Wrap reported.
According to The Wrap, the achievement adds to a string of box office records already set by the film. Among them is the biggest opening weekend of Nolan's career, surpassing "The Dark Knight Rises," which had held the record for the largest opening of all time for an R-rated film. "The Odyssey" also became the most profitable production in the history of Imax screenings.
The Wrap also reported that "The Odyssey" is the first film that is not a sequel or a remake, since "Avatar" in the early 2010s, to cross $1 billion in box office revenue outside North America. The outlet said the feat underlines Nolan's position as the most popular director working in global cinema today.
Donna Langley, chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, said that what Nolan and producer Emma Thomas had created would go down in history as one of the most ambitious and expertly made films ever produced. She said the film had become an event for an entire generation and had reinforced public interest in cinema itself.
Nolan's move to Universal
"The Odyssey" extends a collaboration between Nolan and Universal that began five years ago, when the director ended a decade-long partnership with Warner Bros. and signed with the Comcast-owned studio to make the biographical film "Oppenheimer." Nolan is also known for directing "Inception" and "The Dark Knight" trilogy, and "Oppenheimer" went on to win multiple Academy Awards, including best picture. Emma Thomas is his longtime producing partner and wife.
The story behind The Odyssey
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and premiered in Greek theaters on July 16. It follows the central storyline of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, depicting the hero's ten-year journey home to the island of Ithaca after the Trojan War.
A strong summer at the box office
Alongside Sony and Marvel's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," "The Odyssey" defined the second half of the summer season, finishing as the second-highest-grossing film of the summer.
