Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” to Open July 17; U.S. Box Office Forecast Puts Debut at $80M-$100M, Deadline Says

Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated feature adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is set to open in North American theaters on July 17, and industry tracking expects a major debut despite uncertainty in the exact opening-weekend number. Deadline reported Tuesday that the film’s U.S. opening is currently forecast in a range of $80 million to $100 million, citing the scale of Nolan’s audience appeal and the studio’s large-format footprint.

The projection comes from the film’s status as a major Universal release timed for a wide theatrical rollout. Deadline also pointed to demand indicators tied to the movie’s premium presentation, noting that 70mm IMAX screens had reportedly sold out a year in advance of the release. That early sell-through, Deadline said, is part of what makes the forecast range “wild,” since a tighter range might be expected given such sales momentum.

Deadline additionally referenced questions around how premium large-format availability could translate into first-weekend grosses, including the role of premium large-format venues (PLFs) in the overall tally. The report did not identify a specific driver for the wide $80M-$100M band, but it highlighted that forecasters are still working through how Nolan’s format strategy will perform against broader market conditions for opening weekend.

Because the movie’s exact first-weekend number has not yet been reported, the range should be understood as an early estimate rather than a confirmed result. The article’s framing emphasizes that even with reported demand for 70mm IMAX, audience conversion into total theater attendance can vary, particularly when multiple premium formats and screening capacities are in play across regions.

In Nolan’s case, the reported large-format focus is often intertwined with marketing and distribution planning for theatrical exhibition. Deadline’s report centers the forecast on the release’s expected opening strength, while acknowledging that the current modeling remains flexible as more data emerges from advance ticketing, theater programming, and day-by-day demand.

No additional box office metrics were provided in the Deadline account about domestic holds, theater counts, or weekday expectations beyond the opening-date projection and the earlier large-format sell-out. As a result, the range likely reflects competing inputs that industry analysts weigh during the final weeks before a major blockbuster release.

Universal’s theatrical release of “The Odyssey” will therefore be the next key step for confirming how the reported early 70mm IMAX demand flows into overall domestic gross, including whether premium format availability leads to a more concentrated opening weekend or a broader performance profile across conventional and premium screens.

The industry will monitor the film’s opening-weekend tracking and early audience take-up following the July 17 debut, with analysts likely to narrow the estimate as tracking updates arrive from ticketing systems and exhibition reporting. For exhibitors and distributors, the early range is still significant because it can shape expectations for advertising schedules, screen allocation decisions, and how theaters plan premium-format programming in the days immediately following release.