The Odyssey beats Spider-Man for global weekend No. 1 in week 8

NEW YORK — The financial scale of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is immense, with a worldwide haul of $2.408 billion, yet Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has managed a rare feat of endurance. In its eighth week of release, Nolan's epic reclaimed the global No. 1 spot, knocking the dominant superhero sequel off the top position for the first time since the latter's debut.

The victory was narrow, decided by a margin of $1.86 million. According to Yahoo News and Deadline, The Odyssey earned an estimated $45.96 million globally over the September 4 through 6 weekend, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day followed closely with $44.1 million.

Related Instagram post

Prestige Mechanics and the IMAX Effect

The longevity of The Odyssey is tied to its technical specifications. It is the first theatrical feature shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, utilizing new camera technology developed specifically for Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. This commitment to craft has translated into sustained revenue; by early September, the film had earned more than $457 million from IMAX screens worldwide, according to PEOPLE via Yahoo News. High demand for 70MM screenings persists even two months after the July 17 opening.

This "prestige" trajectory has made The Odyssey the highest-grossing film of Christopher Nolan's career.

Domestic Dominance vs. International Appeal

While The Odyssey won the global weekend, the domestic and international splits reveal a stark contrast in how these two blockbusters are being consumed. Yahoo News reports that The Odyssey earned approximately $33 million from international markets and $13 million in North America. In contrast, Spider-Man: Brand New Day remained the stronger force domestically with $18 million, supported by $26.1 million overseas.

The international reach of Nolan's film is particularly significant. It has contributed more than $1.04 billion from overseas, primarily in France, China, and the United Kingdom and Ireland. NBC News notes that The Odyssey is the first film to achieve the $1 billion international milestone since 2009's Avatar.

Metric	The Odyssey	Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Global Weekend (Sept 4-6)	$45.96 million	$44.1 million
Domestic Weekend (3-day)	$13 million	$18 million
Total Worldwide Gross	$1.632 billion	$2.408 billion
All-Time Global Rank	No. 14	No. 3

This creates a curious dynamic for the lead actors. Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus in The Odyssey and Peter Parker in Spider-Man, and Zendaya, who portrays Athena and MJ respectively, have spent the summer appearing in the two most successful films of the year.

Contextualizing a Record-Breaking Summer

Both films served as the primary engines for a massive rebound in theatrical attendance. Deadline reports that the summer box office reached an all-time record of $4.76 billion, surpassing the previous high of $4.756 billion set in 2013.

Universal Pictures emerged as the season's winner with $1.23 billion in total revenue, 48% of which was generated by The Odyssey. Disney followed with $1.03 billion, while Sony also crossed the $1 billion mark, with 93% of its total stemming from Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Despite the record totals, NBC News points out that admissions remain below pre-pandemic levels, and the total was aided by higher ticket prices and a longer summer window of 130 days compared to 123 days in 2013.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did an eight-week-old film beat a current blockbuster?

The Odyssey leveraged strong international performance and a high demand for IMAX and 70MM screenings to edge out Spider-Man by $1.86 million globally over the September 4-6 weekend.

When will The Odyssey be available for home viewing?

Universal Pictures announced the film will arrive on VOD platforms, including Apple TV and Prime Video, on November 19, followed by an exclusive run on Peacock at a later date.

Which film is more successful overall?

While The Odyssey won a specific weekend, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is far ahead in total earnings, with $2.408 billion compared to $1.632 billion for Nolan's film.

The current trajectory of The Odyssey now points toward a historic studio milestone. While Spider-Man is chasing the domestic record held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936.6 million), The Odyssey is closing in on the Universal all-time global record. According to Collider and Deadline, Nolan's film is approximately $80 million away from surpassing Jurassic World's $1.67 billion global haul to become the highest-grossing movie in the history of Universal Pictures.

Expanding the Studio Records

The battle for the top spot is not merely between two films, but between two distinct paths to historic status. While The Odyssey has secured a temporary global victory, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is operating on a domestic scale that places it within striking distance of the all-time North American record. According to Deadline, the film is less than $16 million away from overtaking 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936.6 million) as the highest-grossing movie in domestic history.

For Universal Pictures, the stakes are similarly high. Nolan's film has already surpassed The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($574.1 million) to become the studio's second-highest grossing film domestically. It now trails only Jurassic World ($653.4 million) in the North American market.

The chronology of this recovery is underscored by the film's expansion into new territories. Yahoo News reports that The Odyssey is scheduled for a nationwide Japanese release on September 11. This follows exclusive IMAX previews across 62 screens in Japan, which generated approximately $755,000 in advance revenue.

This international momentum, combined with the high demand for 70MM screenings, suggests that the global record for Universal is within reach. For the superhero epic, the next step is a final push to surpass the Star Wars domestic benchmark, a milestone Deadline suggests could happen within a matter of days.