‘The Odyssey’ Posts Powerful $20M Tuesday; 2nd U.S. Weekend Could Top Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ Pics – Box Office - Deadline

What the report says

Deadline reports that Christopher Nolan’s Universal release “The Odyssey” posted a revised $21.4 million Tuesday at the domestic box office, giving Nolan his strongest Tuesday result to date. The figure moves past his prior Tuesday benchmark, “The Dark Knight,” which made $20.8 million on July 22, 2008, and places “The Odyssey” behind only “Toy Story 5” among Tuesday grosses this year.

The film, led by Matt Damon with Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal and Mia Goth among the cast, is also being closely watched for its second weekend. Deadline says it is expected to retain Imax and premium large-format screens and could land between $61.8 million and $74 million, a decline of roughly 40% to 50% from opening weekend.

That range could put “The Odyssey” near or above the sophomore frames of Nolan’s “Dark Knight” films: “The Dark Knight Rises” at $62.1 million and possibly “The Dark Knight” at $75.1 million. Deadline notes the comparison is not exact because superhero titles often fall more sharply after opening, while “The Odyssey” is being treated as a format-driven, appointment-style theatrical event.

No major studio wide release is scheduled against it this coming weekend, according to the report. Smaller and specialty entries include IFC’s “Motor City,” Bleecker Street’s “Hadestown: The Musical” live-capture release and Neon’s Nicolas Winding Refn film “Her Private Hell.” The performance matters as a sign of continued audience demand for premium-format theatrical releases beyond franchise superhero fare.