Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey is already making box-office history more than a month before its theatrical release. According to AMC Theatres, the film has generated the chain's strongest first-day sales for premium large-format screenings of any studio-released movie since 2022. The impressive presales performance highlights the extraordinary anticipation surrounding Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic.
The surge in demand came after tickets for IMAX, IMAX 70mm, and other premium large-format screenings were released. Fans rushed to secure seats, overwhelming ticketing platforms and creating lengthy online queues. Many moviegoers reported waiting extended periods to complete their purchases as demand rapidly exceeded expectations.
AMC CEO Adam Aron acknowledged the technical difficulties experienced by customers while celebrating the film's record-breaking performance. He revealed that The Odyssey delivered the highest first-day premium-format sales for any studio title at AMC in the past four years. Aron also noted that the only releases to outperform it during that period were AMC-distributed concert films from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé rather than traditional studio releases.
The presales milestone is particularly notable because only premium-format tickets were made available. General admission tickets have not yet gone on sale, meaning the current figures reflect demand solely for premium viewing experiences such as IMAX and other large-format auditoriums.
Interest in the film has been building for months. Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, a technological achievement that has become a major selling point for audiences eager to experience the film in its intended format. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and features an ensemble cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, and Mia Goth. The story follows the legendary Greek hero's perilous journey home following the Trojan War, adapting one of the most influential works in literary history.
Demand has been so intense that some tickets quickly appeared on resale sites at heavily inflated prices. Listings for premium screenings surfaced online shortly after sales began, with some sellers asking hundreds or even thousands of dollars for sought-after seats. The strong presales performance continues a trend that began last year when select opening-weekend IMAX 70mm screenings sold out a full year before the film's release, an unprecedented move for a major studio production.
Industry observers have pointed to Nolan's reputation for delivering theatrical events, combined with the success of Oppenheimer, as key reasons behind the extraordinary demand. While presales do not guarantee box-office results, the early response suggests that The Odyssey is shaping up to be one of the biggest cinematic events of 2026. With general ticket sales still to come and millions of seats yet to be released, the film has already demonstrated a level of audience enthusiasm rarely seen more than a month before a movie reaches theatres.
