‘The Odyssey’s $84M+ Second Weekend Will Be A Record For Christopher Nolan, Besting ‘Dark Knight’ – Box Office Update - Deadline

What the report says

Deadline reports that Universal’s Christopher Nolan film “The Odyssey” is on track for an estimated $84.5 million second weekend at the North American box office, which would mark Nolan’s biggest second-weekend result. The figure would surpass the director’s previous high of $75.1 million for “The Dark Knight” in 2008. The film’s projected domestic total through the weekend is $283.8 million after a near-$26 million Friday and a 32% second-weekend decline.

Premium and large-format screenings are playing a major role in the performance. Deadline says Imax, premium large formats and 70mm presentations are expected to account for 58% of the film’s second-weekend gross, up from 53% on opening weekend. Imax alone represents 29%, including 5% from Imax 70mm. The TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles is cited as the top Imax 70mm location so far this weekend, and Deadline reports “The Odyssey” has become the venue’s highest-grossing film when combining sales and presales through week five.

The report frames the result as significant for theatrical strategy, noting that a comparatively small share of screens is generating much of the tentpole’s revenue. Audience data cited by Deadline shows men remain a slight majority of weekend viewers at 52%, while moviegoers over 25 account for 76%.

Among new releases, Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment’s “Hadestown” event is pacing for an $8 million to $9 million opening, while IFC’s “Motor City” is estimated at $1.8 million. Neon’s “Her Private Hell” is projected around $625,000. Deadline estimates the overall North American weekend marketplace at about $140.6 million.