MAGA Backlash Fails to Slow The Odyssey’s Record $87 Million Second Weekend

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey continued its remarkable theatrical run by earning $87 million during its second weekend in North America. The performance marked the biggest second weekend of Nolan’s directing career, surpassing the previous unadjusted record set by The Dark Knight, which earned $75.2 million during its sophomore weekend in 2008.

The result was made even more impressive by the film’s remarkably small decline from its opening weekend. While many modern blockbusters lose between 50% and 60% of their audience after debuting, The Odyssey slipped only about 30%, signaling exceptional word of mouth and strong repeat business from moviegoers.

Much of the film’s success continues to come from premium large-format theaters. Audiences have flocked to IMAX and other premium auditoriums despite higher ticket prices, reinforcing Christopher Nolan’s reputation as one of the few filmmakers capable of turning theatrical presentation itself into a major selling point.

IMAX theaters generated approximately $48 million worldwide during the weekend alone. The premium format has once again become a defining part of Nolan’s latest release, with many viewers specifically choosing IMAX screenings to experience the film’s large-scale visuals and immersive sound.

The exclusive 70mm IMAX presentations have proven especially popular. Available at only 41 theaters around the world, those screenings generated roughly $5.2 million during the weekend. IMAX also reported that the vast majority of those coveted showtimes remain sold out through September.

Combined with another $128.3 million from international markets, the domestic performance pushed The Odyssey to an estimated $639.6 million worldwide after only a week and a half in theaters. The film easily remained the number-one movie in North America, comfortably outpacing Moana and Toy Story 5.

Long before audiences saw the film, The Odyssey became the target of a conservative online backlash. Critics accused Christopher Nolan of producing a “woke” reinterpretation of Homer’s classic, with much of the criticism focusing on casting decisions and rumors that circulated across social media before the film’s release.

Among the most discussed issues was the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, which some conservative commentators criticized. False online rumors also claimed that Elliot Page had been cast as Achilles. In reality, Page appears only briefly as the minor character Sinon, but the speculation nevertheless fueled weeks of political debate online.

Despite calls for a boycott, the controversy had virtually no measurable impact on ticket sales. Elon Musk criticized the film on X, writing that Nolan had «desecrated Homer» and later announced that Grok would develop what he described as an “anti-woke” and “historically accurate” adaptation with Mel Gibson. The online campaign, however, failed to slow the film’s momentum as mainstream audiences continued to fill theaters.

Christopher Nolan showed little concern about the criticism during an interview with The Telegraph. Addressing the online controversy, he said: «Comes with the territory. But look, these conversations that happen before people see the film — they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet.» His comments reflected his longstanding belief that audiences ultimately judge a film after experiencing it themselves.

With record-breaking attendance, exceptional audience retention and sold-out premium screenings continuing around the world, The Odyssey has become one of the biggest theatrical events of the year. Its performance demonstrates that positive word of mouth and the demand for premium cinematic experiences can outweigh even weeks of highly publicized online controversy, giving Christopher Nolan another major box office milestone in an already extraordinary career.