Episode 104: The Odyssey Eyes $1B as Spider-Man Looms

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is on a historic box office run — dropping just 30% in its second weekend to reach $639 million worldwide, placing it among the best-holding $100M+ openers in film history. With a billion dollars now a guaranteed floor, the question is whether it can outlast Spider-Man: Brand New Day and claim the all-time R-rated box office record. Meanwhile, Disney's two summer holdovers are telling opposite stories, and the summer's macro numbers are shaping up to be the strongest theatrical performance in years. Key Takeaways: The Odyssey dropped just 30% in weekend two — the third-lowest second-weekend drop ever for a film with a $100M+ opening, behind only Wicked (27.9%) and Top Gun: Maverick (28.9%). The film's worldwide total stands at $639 million after two weekends, with $87M domestic and $128M overseas in frame two. Audience gender split shifted from 59/41 male-to-female on opening day to 52/48 by the following Friday — a signal of broadening audience reach ahead of Spider-Man competition. Toy Story 5 crossed $1.02 billion worldwide in its sixth weekend, becoming the year's highest-grossing film to date — though it is expected to be surpassed by The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Moana is tracking as a high-profile flop: $228M global against a production budget of at least $200M, with weak overseas performance. Bleecker Street's Hadestown — a filmed stage recording with original cast — opened to $9.6M in 1,949 locations, a notable result for the filmed-stage format. If Spider-Man: Brand New Day matches its $260M projected domestic opening, 2026 could produce five $1B global releases in a single summer — the most this decade. Next weekend is the critical data point: how The Odyssey holds against a potential record-breaking Spider-Man opening will determine whether it can surpass Deadpool & Wolverine as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. For agents, producers, and financiers building out 2027 slates, the bifurcation signal is clear — event theatrical is thriving, and the gap between franchise tentpoles and everything else is widening. Subscribe to The Option for daily updates on the business behind the business.