Christopher Nolan's medieval fantasy epic The Odyssey has passed $1 billion at the global box office, surpassing Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.
The milestone also makes the film the highest-grossing release of Nolan's career. Unadjusted for inflation, it is only the third R-rated feature in Hollywood history to cross the $1 billion mark globally.
The record-breaking performance is particularly notable given the medieval fantasy genre, which has struggled to generate major commercial returns in movie theaters in recent years. Positive responses from critics and audiences have driven steady ticket sales since its debut.
The production was filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, making it the first feature movie in cinema history to do so. The large-format presentation reinforced the film as an essential theatrical spectacle, encouraging viewers to watch it on the largest available screens.
Summer box office success
The success of The Odyssey comes during an irregular summer season for Hollywood studios. Several high-profile releases, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Masters of the Universe, and Supergirl, failed to stand out at the box office.
The Odyssey emerged as one of only two dominant summer attractions. The other major hit, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, has also been setting box office records throughout the season.
Nolan, who previously directed Oppenheimer, Inception, and The Dark Knight trilogy, has long championed physical film and large-format projection systems. IMAX technology uses custom wide screens and high-resolution camera formats to deliver an immersive viewing experience.
In the United States box office rating system, an R rating restricts viewers under 17 without an accompanying parent or adult guardian. Because the rating limits attendance by younger audiences, reaching $1 billion global box office revenue has historically been rare for adult-rated films, with only Joker in 2019 and Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024 previously reaching that threshold.
Ryan Reynolds responds with humor
Following the loss of the record, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds congratulated the cast and crew of The Odyssey on social media. Reynolds posted a humorous video that combined footage from Nolan's film with the Honda Odyssey car chase scene from Deadpool & Wolverine.
The Odyssey currently holds second place among the highest-grossing movies of 2026 worldwide, trailing only Spider-Man: Brand New Day. With several months remaining in the calendar year, the film is expected to finish 2026 among the top five highest-grossing productions globally.
