Nolan’s Odyssey Holds Top Box Office Spot

North America (GNP): Christopher Nolan’s mythological epic “The Odyssey” has held its place atop the North American box office for a second straight weekend, a sign that the Universal Pictures release still has staying power even after a record-breaking debut.

The film earned an estimated $87 million between July 24 and July 26, playing across 3,942 locations, and pushed its domestic total to $286.4 million in just twelve days of release. That total already places it among the year’s strongest performers, and industry watchers say the drop from its $124.5 million opening weekend is milder than typical for a film of this scale, pointing to strong word of mouth carrying it into its second week.

The steady hold matters because “The Odyssey” arrived with one of the heaviest price tags of the summer, with production and marketing costs reported near $375 million combined. A film that size needs staying power more than a single big weekend, and the retelling of Homer’s ancient story, led by Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside an ensemble that includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland and Zendaya, appears to be delivering exactly that.

Reviews have been strong since its release, and audience reaction has reportedly matched the critical response, which helps explain why theater chains have kept the film on a large number of screens rather than trimming its footprint the way distributors often do once an opening weekend passes.

Behind “The Odyssey,” the rest of the chart looked much as it has in recent weeks, with family titles doing the heavy lifting. Disney’s “Moana” brought in an estimated $10.5 million to land in second place, lifting its own domestic haul to just over $102 million.

While “Toy Story 5” was close behind in third with $10 million, extending a run that has already carried the film past $448 million domestically since its release.

Universal’s “Minions & Monsters” rounded out the top five earners with $9.6 million, and the stage musical adaptation “Hadestown: The Musical” opened in fourth place with just under $9.7 million from Bleecker Street, one of the stronger specialty releases of the summer so far.

Further down the chart, smaller releases found modest footing. A24’s “The Invite” added another $2.6 million in its own extended run, and Warner Bros.’ horror sequel “Evil Dead Burn” continued its climb toward $30 million domestically despite a sharp drop in its theater count.

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New arrivals such as “Motor City” from IFC Films and Neon Rated’s “Her Private Hell” opened quietly in limited release, a pattern that has become familiar this summer as studios avoid scheduling head-to-head against Universal’s biggest bet of the year.

With no major new wide releases scheduled against it, “The Odyssey” looks positioned to keep its grip on theaters for at least another week, giving Universal room to build toward a run that some analysts believe could approach the billion-dollar mark globally if its current pace holds.