The Odyssey is already being hailed as the biggest film of the year and, for some, likely the biggest film of the decade so far. It’s being relied upon to power the global box office to a healthy year.
Expectations are high, to say the least, but why are they so high, and if it doesn’t conquer the world, how much does it need to be considered the box office’s greatest Greek mythology film ever?
Thrilled About a Return to the Theme
Christopher Nolan is rolling hot, the cast is absurdly star-powered, and the story has resonated around the world for centuries. It’s bound to be a hit on these factors alone. Roll in that it’s within a setting that’s only become more popular over the years, and the projections could be considered a bit conservative.
After all, Greek mythology has been a titan of entertainment for decades, and is especially popular right now in gaming circles. You only have to look as far as the collection of bingo slingo creations online to see this. These instant-win games span all themes imaginable, but chief among them the Olympus-set Slingo Thunder of the Gods.
Of course, the other arena of entertainment where these myths were once much more prominent is in film. It’s these flicks that The Odyssey has to contend with.
Breaking the $200 million mark
Some of the most popular of the more modern Ancient Greek cinematic outings managed to turn a profit – assuming the budgets are production doubled for marketing – at the $200 million mark. The lowest earner of these was 2011’s Immortals, which turned a $75 million budget into $211.5 million worldwide.
As The Rock was on his ascendancy, he took up the role of one of Ancient Greece’s mightiest mythical heroes, Hercules. In 2024, his $100 million flick collected $243 million. Topping this bracket, however, is the 2014 sequel to 300, Rise of an Empire, which took $110 million and impressively turned it into $330.7 million. That’s a real return.
If The Odyssey only manages to match any of these Greek myth movies, it will be considered a flop. Given the hype around it, the film may even rank among the greatest box office disappointments ever.
Nearing $500 million
Three films within the Ancient Greek setting have blitzed past $400 million worldwide, but haven’t quite been able to get to $500 million – not adjusting for inflation. In 2007, 300 dazzled audiences with its hyper-stylized depiction of the Spartans facing the Persians, collecting over $454 million worldwide.
Three years prior, a far more grounded depiction of a legendary battle took $483 million. This was Troy, the story that opens The Odyssey and also boasts a superstar cast. The best of the bunch so far, however, is 2010’s Clash of the Titans. On a $125 million budget, it conquered the box office for weeks and returned a gaudy $493 million.
If The Odyssey can surpass Clash of the Titans’ impressive haul, many will see it as having failed to make a return. On $250 million, it needs at least $500 million to potentially break even. Of course, this is based on a rough calculation, meaning that the studio might actually need much more to turn a profit.
Pre-release hype is aplenty for The Odyssey, which should spur it to a stellar couple of opening weeks. After that, it’ll need word of mouth from moviegoers to push it to the upper echelons and make a good chunk of cash.