The Odyssey film fans inspired to go back to the source - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reports that Sir Christopher Nolan’s cinema adaptation of The Odyssey has become both a major box-office performer and a driver of renewed interest in Homer’s ancient poem. The film earned $264m (£198m) worldwide during its opening weekend, including $52m (£39m) from Imax screens, according to figures cited by the BBC.

That attention appears to be carrying over into publishing and audio. The BBC, citing NielsenIQ BookData, said UK print sales of The Odyssey rose 700% last week compared with the same period in 2025, with almost 8,000 copies sold and 47,000 sold so far this year. Waterstones reported especially strong demand for Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation, which Nolan has named among his sources. Audiobook interest has also climbed: Stephen Fry’s reading reached Spotify’s UK audiobook top 10, while Ian McKellen’s version entered the comparable US chart.

The BBC also cited Variety as reporting that Spotify listening for The Odyssey rose by about 680% after the film’s Friday release, with most listeners identified as Gen Z or millennials. Wilson welcomed the wider attention to the poem, while telling the Associated Press she felt Nolan’s version omitted themes she considers central.

The film’s performance is also notable for Imax. BBC said it took £12.6m in the UK, the country’s second-biggest opening weekend of the year so far, and Screen Daily reported a UK opening-weekend Imax record. The three-hour film was shot entirely with Imax 70mm cameras, though only three UK venues are showing it in that format.