Nolan Odyssey grosses $200 million in opening weekend

Christopher Nolan's epic film "The Odyssey" opened to massive box office success over the weekend of July 18-19, 2026, delivering a strong rebuttal to pre-release criticism from prominent figures who had attacked its casting choices. The film, an adaptation of Homer's Greek myth, is projected to earn roughly $200 million globally in its opening weekend, recouping its $250 million production budget and challenging the "go woke, go broke" narrative promoted by its detractors.

The controversy began months earlier, after it was announced that Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o had been cast as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page, who is transgender, would play a Greek soldier. In May, tech mogul Elon Musk posted on social media, "Shame on Chris Nolan for desecrating Homer!" He later falsely claimed the casting was a ploy to meet Academy Awards diversity standards. Donald Trump Jr. echoed the criticism in an Instagram post the following day, employing anti-trans rhetoric and suggesting Hollywood was forcing an agenda on audiences.

Their complaints, however, were met with a robust commercial and critical response. Early estimates indicate the film earned approximately $137 million in U.S....