'The Odyssey' storms box office with massive $51M opening day

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has kicked off its theatrical run with a blockbuster $51 million opening day putting the epic on course for an estimated $120 million domestic opening weekend.

The film opened in 3,919 North American theatres easily claiming the top spot at the box office. If projections hold it will become only the third film of 2026 to debut above the $100 million mark following Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

A $120 million opening would mark Nolan's biggest debut since The Dark Knight Rises which launched with $160 million in 2012. The film has also already surpassed the entire opening weekend of Interstellar which earned $47.5 million during its debut.

Based on Homer's classic Greek epic The Odyssey follows Odysseus played by Matt Damon as he embarks on a dangerous journey home after the Trojan War.

The film also stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and John Leguizamo.

Meanwhile Disney's live-action Moana landed in second place with $5.5 million on Friday and is projected to earn around $19 million in its second weekend marking a 56% decline from its opening.

Minions & Monsters took third place with $4.3 million on Friday and is expected to collect $14 million over the weekend while Toy Story 5 added $4.2 million pushing its domestic total toward $429 million.

Rounding out the top five Evil Dead Burn earned $1.4 million on Friday and is projected to finish the weekend with roughly $23 million at the North American box office.