You have your typical blockbusters, and then you have the sort of spectacle Christopher Nolan is putting on at the Italian box office right now. After a mammoth opening weekend, one would be forgiven for thinking the director’s newest epic would undergo the usual theatrical cool down. Instead, the film has completely rewritten the rules of cinematic commerce.
Case in point: The Odyssey’s second frame in Italy (Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26) was an astonishing display of domestic power. The film not only put up another €10,644,980 from some 1.23 million admissions, it actually grew by 6% more than the €10,043,013 it made in its first few days. In just eleven days of release, the cumulative Italian tally is a staggering €26,780,158 and 3,203,896 admissions.
Defying the Second-Weekend Curve
It is an anomalous trajectory when you consider the commercial history of event films. A sophomore drop is par for the course even with good word-of-mouth; Moana 2 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are down 44% and 48% respectively, and a prestige drama like Wuthering Heights will still see a 27% decline. Sure, you can get a bump in the second week if the calendar is right, as Mufasa: The Lion King did over Christmas. But Nolan’s movie is doing this in the middle of July with no holiday to prop it up, building on a launch that was already close to €10 million.
Put it next to the historical comps and the dominance is plain to see. The top spot in Italy for the corresponding weekend in 2025 was held by The Fantastic Four: First Steps with an opening of €2,620,194. Odyssey’s second weekend alone was more than quadruple that, responsible for 85% of the entire market’s revenue for the frame.
A Record-Breaking July
The sci-fi epic is making waves well beyond Italy. It has taken in $286,371,800 in the U.S. and $353,260,000 in international territories for a global total of $639,631,800, with overseas markets edging out the domestic 55.2 to 44.8%. In Italy, Minions & Monsters is in second place with €562,733, trailing in the wake of the box office cyclone, with Toy Story 5 at €237,616.
Odyssey has been the catalyst for a historic summer in the region. As of July 26, 2026 has already eclipsed the old record from 2011 with €43,575,771, making it the best July on the books. Year-to-date numbers are up 29% on 2025 at €348,341,252, and there are still heavyweights like Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday to come later in the year.
The Nolan Effect
Talking about whether The Odyssey will pass the €30 million mark in Italy is somewhat moot; with under €3.3 million to go, it is all but done. What is of interest is how a filmmaker can drive attendance by the sheer force of scale and prestige. When studios find it hard to get any legs outside of the holidays, Nolan has shown that an uncompromising epic can make prime real estate of the middle of July.