The Odyssey tops UK box office with best opening for a Christopher Nolan film
Fans report weeks of sold out showings at BFI Imax for director's adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem
The Odyssey took £12.9 million in the UK alone on its first weekend of release, as director Christopher Nolan enjoyed his best-ever opening weekend.
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The adaptation of Homer's epic poem, which stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Anne Hathaway, took £196m worldwide on its first weekend.
British fans have reported days of sell-out showings at the BFI Imax in London for what has been the director's strongest opening weekend - although his 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises took more when adjusted for inflation.
Damon stars as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who embarks on a 10-year journey home in the film, which has enjoyed strong reviews across the board.
Nolan said that he was only allowed the $250m budget from Universal after the success of his 2023 film Oppenheimer, which took $976.8m (£730m) over the course of its run.
The Odyseey knocked Toy Story 5 off the number one spot in the UK box office, while Moana is down to third.
Some cinemas chose to show World Cup 2026 matches, which contributed to around £18,000 in takings, enough for 14th in the weekly box office.
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UK top 10 film box office: Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19
- The Odyssey – Altitude Film Distribution | Weeks: 466 | Weekend: £12,566,300 | Total: £12,566,300
- Toy Story 5 – Walt Disney | Weeks: 5 | Weekend: £1,657,468 | Total: £45,308,647
- Moana – Walt Disney | Weeks: 2 | Weekend: £1,523,562 | Total: £5,550,265
- Minions & Monsters – Universal Pictures | Weeks: 3 | Weekend: £1,173,551 | Total: £9,339,435
- Evil Dead Burn – STUDIOCANAL | Weeks: 2 | Weekend: £303,561 | Total: £1,677,715
- The Invite – Black Bear | Weeks: 3 | Weekend: £238,173 | Total: £2,472,177
- Obsession – Universal Pictures | Weeks: 10 | Weekend: £186,182 | Total: £18,634,696
- Supergirl – Warner Bros. | Weeks: 4 | Weekend: £92,544 | Total: £5,549,687
- Disclosure Day – Universal Pictures | Weeks: 6 | Weekend: £68,672 | Total: £12,644,988
- Jackass: Best and Last – Paramount | Weeks: 4 | Weekend: £42,825 | Total: £2,220,525