Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is already on track to break a significant record for the director. Nolan’s follow-up to 2023’s Oppenheimer is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2026. The first trailer is showing exclusively in theaters and previews the ancient Greek setting that the director has created to adapt this epic story.

The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca who journeys home after the Trojan War. Joining Damon is Tom Holland as Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, and several unconfirmed roles are played by Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o and Robert Pattinson.

While the film is still around a year away, Universal and Nolan took the bold step of selling tickets a year in advance. The tickets are only for showings in IMAX theaters that have 70 mm screens, but it’s the first time tickets for any movie have been available this early. The strategy appears to have worked, as many showings are already sold out, putting the film on pace to break Nolan’s box office record.

The Odyssey’s Sold-Out Screenings Show It Could Become Christopher Nolan’s Highest-Grossing Film

Odysseus Can Beat Batman

Nolan has an incredible track record with his films. Almost all of them are unanimous winners by critics and audiences, and many have received award nominations and wins. Nolan finally won the coveted Best Director and Best Picture Academy Award for Oppenheimer, after losing the award to other nominees several times.

The award buzz and excellent quality are all great, but the reason studios put so much faith in him is that his films performed well at the box office. 2008’s The Dark Knight became the first superhero movie to join the $1 billion club, and The Dark Knight Rises made even more four years later. Oppenheimer grossed $975 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing biopic ever.

The Odyssey is already performing well at the box office, proving its high demand a year before its release. Film producer Dan Marcus shared on X that the IMAX 70mm screening at the AMC at Universal CityWalk for next year in Hollywood is sold out. The same situation is happening across the world, showing it could easily become Nolan’s highest-grossing film.

Currently, Nolan’s most successful film at the box office is The Dark Knight Rises, which made $1.1 billion worldwide. Based on the high demand this early, it’s likely that The Odyssey could pᴀss that number and break the director’s 14-year-old record. If Nolan almost reached $1 billion with an R-rated three-hour biopic, it’s hard to imagine that his next film will do worse.

Homer’s Odyssey is a more familiar story than the life of Robert J. Oppenheimer, and will feature more action. It’s a sprawling epic filled with ancient Greek mythology, and the cast is just another reason why there is so much excitement. Nolan’s films are theatrical experiences, and people will swarm theaters to see The Odyssey in the best seat on the biggest screen.