Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is now the biggest R-rated movie ever

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has officially dethroned "Deadpool & Wolverine" to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Universal Pictures Comcast Corporation ↘ 2.59% confirmed Thursday that the epic adaptation of Homer's poem has collected $1.352 billion globally, surpassing the $1.338 billion that Disney's ↗ 0.96% Marvel sequel earned during its 2024 theatrical run.variety+1

The milestone caps a historic run for "The Odyssey," which opened on July 17 to $123 million domestically and has since accumulated $516 million in North America and $835 million internationally. Much of its success has been driven by IMAX, which has generated $354 million in revenue — making it the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time, surpassing 2009's "Avatar."variety

Reynolds Concedes With Trademark Humor

Ryan Reynolds, the star of the "Deadpool" franchise, took to X on August 19 to congratulate the film with a characteristically playful post. He shared a mashup video splicing footage of Matt Damon's Odysseus marching through a forest with the scene from "Deadpool & Wolverine" in which Deadpool and Wolverine brawl inside a Honda Odyssey minivan.hollywoodreporter+1

"Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of The Odyssey for becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time," Reynolds wrote. "That is one helluva car."nerdist+1

A Career-Defining Achievement for Nolan

"The Odyssey" is now the highest-grossing film of Nolan's career, surpassing "The Dark Knight Rises" ($1.08 billion) and joining "Joker" ($1.078 billion) and "Deadpool & Wolverine" as the only three R-rated films ever to cross $1 billion globally. The Wrap reported the film is tracking toward a $1.6 billion finish, with recent releases in China and South Korea and a Japan opening still to come in September.yahoo+2

Starring Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o, the film was the first shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. It remains the second-highest-grossing film of 2026 worldwide, trailing only "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which recently crossed $2 billion.thewrap+2