In recent cinema news, Christopher Nolan has achieved remarkable success with his film “The Odyssey.” Over the past week, it has dominated the box office, reflecting a notable shift amid widespread franchise fatigue. Many films have struggled to replicate the success of their predecessors during this summer.
Universal Pictures released a star-studded adaptation of Homer’s epic. It generated an impressive $123 million in domestic revenue and exceeded $263 million internationally during its debut weekend. This marks Nolan’s strongest global opening, outperforming other blockbusters like “The Dark Knight” series and the 2023 Oscar winner “Oppenheimer.”
Throughout the week, “The Odyssey” maintained robust performance. It earned over $18 million domestically on Monday and Wednesday, and more than $21 million on Tuesday. By the end of the week, its global earnings had surpassed $320 million.
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The film’s box office triumph contrasts with other franchise releases this summer. Disney’s live-action “Moana,” featuring Dwayne Johnson, opened with a disappointing $43 million in domestic revenue earlier this month. This is significantly less than the $56 million generated by the original animated film in 2016 and the profitable $140 million opening of “Moana 2” in 2024. Disney estimates a potential loss of $100 million on the film, which reportedly cost $250 million to produce. So far, its global profits have reached only $186 million.
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Another franchise release, “Supergirl,” experienced similar difficulties. Last month, it accrued just $37 million during its opening weekend in the U.S. Warner Bros anticipates that the film will fall short of reaching $150 million globally, a stark contrast to the $600 million earned by last year’s “Superman.” This diminished performance raises concerns about the studio’s revamped DC Comics Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros expects to lose $100 million on the Milly Alcock-led superhero film.
Disney’s live-action “Moana” remake, starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia, stands out as one of the summer’s largest box office disappointments, launching with a meager $43 million.
Other once-successful franchises have underperformed as well. Last month’s “Minions & Monsters” generated only $37 million domestically. It has grossed roughly $366 million globally, marking the weakest performance for a “Despicable Me” installment. Its predecessor, 2024’s “Despicable Me 4,” opened with $75 million domestically and nearly reached $1 billion globally.
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“The Mandalorian & Grogu,” another franchise extension, represents a disappointing return for Disney. It grossed $340 million worldwide after its May release, becoming the lowest-performing Star Wars film in the franchise’s history. The film followed “Solo,” which held the title with $392 million in earnings.
Nonetheless, some films have defied the downward trend. “Toy Story 5” debuted last month with an impressive $159 million domestically. It aims to surpass $1 billion globally. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” released in April, achieved a $131 million domestic opening and ultimately exceeded $1 billion globally. “Scream 7” generated over $63 million during its February opening weekend and reached over $200 million worldwide.
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Original productions have also seen success. “Project Hail Mary,” a space adventure led by Ryan Gosling and adapted from Andy Weir’s book, grossed over $680 million globally this spring, making it Amazon Studios’ highest-grossing film. Lionsgate’s “Michael,” a Michael Jackson biopic, earned over $1 billion worldwide, surpassing franchise films like “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight.”
Amazon Studios’ “Project Hail Mary,” featuring Ryan Gosling, was a major box office hit, accumulating over $680 million globally.
The low-budget horror film “Obsession,” created by comedic content maker Curry Barker, achieved unexpected growth week-over-week early in its release. It quickly surpassed “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” with earnings above $400 million worldwide, becoming Focus Features’ top-grossing film.
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A few weeks later, another low-budget horror film, “Backrooms,” created by 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons, made a notable impact at the box office. It debuted with $81 million and accrued over $360 million internationally, breaking a record for A24.
Focus Features’ “Obsession,” starring Indi Navarrette, exceeded expectations at the box office with more than $400 million globally despite its low-budget background.
Next week’s key summer release is “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” from Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios. Expectations are high for the fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led series, given its predecessor “Spider-Man: No Way Home” opened with $260 million domestically in 2021.
Aside from grappling with franchise fatigue, it will face superhero fatigue, which has impacted the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2025 releases such as “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts,” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” are considered financial underperformers. It’s essential for Marvel Studios that audiences are eager for Spider-Man’s return.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn reports on media for Fox News Digital. Contact him with story tips at [email protected] and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
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