On Sunday evening, someone in the USA had to pay for an IMAX evening showing ticket that cost more than an hour of minimum wage work — and it was precisely such people who made Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey" the highest-grossing film of his career.
Studio Universal Pictures confirmed: within a month of its July 17 premiere, the film earned 1.104 billion dollars worldwide, surpassing "The Dark Knight Rises" (1.085 billion) and "The Dark Knight" (1.005 billion) — Nolan's previous two record-holders, which had stood for more than a decade.
What exactly was counted
In the USA, the film earned 461.1 million dollars and finished second at the weekend box office — it was topped by "Spider-Man: Absolutely a New Day." In worldwide IMAX distribution, "Odyssey" earned 289.3 million dollars, becoming the highest-grossing film in the history of that format. This is no coincidence: the film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras — the first feature film with such a distinction.
The figures are also record-breaking for the actors: for Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, as well as for Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, this is the highest-grossing film of their entire global careers.
Is a billion more tickets or more expensive tickets?
This is where the honest part of the conversation begins. The IMAX 70mm format, in which the film was shot and shown, costs viewers significantly more than a regular screening — and premium showings provided the lion's share of the box office. When a film is fundamentally impossible to watch at home in the way the director intended, the studio is essentially selling not just cinema, but a unique experience that can command a higher price.
This means that the record in dollars does not automatically equal a record in the number of tickets sold. "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012 was earning its billion at substantially lower ticket prices — meaning that more people actually went to cinemas for that film than are going to "Odyssey" now, even though the bottom-line dollar amount is less.
For the industry, this is a crucial point: studios in recent years have been betting not on mass appeal, but on a few major releases in premium formats capable of justifying high ticket prices. "Odyssey" became the second-highest-grossing R-rated film in history — both in the USA and worldwide — surpassed only by "Deadpool & Wolverine" in 2024, which was also built on a similar logic of "an event that must be seen on the big screen."
Who profits from this billion
Direct benefit is distributed among several players. Universal Pictures receives the main share of revenue after theater deductions. Cinema chains and IMAX venue owners — a steady stream of viewers to the format, with investments in it paying off over years. Actors with a percentage of box office receipts in their contracts — an additional bonus on top of their salary. And Nolan himself, whose films have collectively earned over 7 billion dollars at the box office, strengthens his position as a director under whose name studios are willing to finance expensive experiments with film and format.
"Christopher Nolan has earned the trust of audiences by consistently delivering thrilling films, and 'Odyssey' represents the pinnacle of his craft," said Jim Orr, president of Universal Pictures' domestic distribution, adding that audiences "crave premium formats and repeat viewings."
That last phrasing should be read literally: repeat viewings are separate sold tickets, and part of the billion consists of people who watched the film two or three times for the sake of the format.
What this means for viewers
For the average moviegoer, the logic is simple: top releases are increasingly becoming "events" for which you pay more, rather than a routine weekly trip to the cinema. This explains why "Odyssey" entered the top five highest-grossing films of the year worldwide, despite the fact that overall cinema attendance in the USA still hasn't returned to pre-2020 levels.
If the next major releases — say, a continuation of the Spider-Man series or new Nolan projects — similarly bet on expensive premium formats instead of mass theatrical distribution at regular prices, the cinema business will ultimately transform into an industry of rare, expensive events. The only question is whether audiences will continue to pay this premium in an economy where all other costs aren't getting any cheaper either.
