[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Christopher Nolan’s new film, *The Odyssey*, continues to dominate the box office in its second week of release, maintaining overwhelming advance ticket sales. As Nolan’s box-office clout is reaffirmed in Korea, expectations are high that this will become another signature work following *Interstellar*.

According to the Korean Film Council’s Integrated Computerized Ticket System on the 13th, “The Odyssey” surpassed 900,000 advance tickets sold as of 10 a.m. that day. It also ranked first with a 66.5% advance ticket sales rate.
“The Odyssey,” which opened on the 5th, has held the No. 1 spot at the box office for eight consecutive days as of today. With advance ticket sales exceeding 900,000 even as it enters its second week in theaters—and having significantly widened the gap with competing films—expectations are rising for a long-term box office run.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (Spider-Man 4), currently in theaters, has sold approximately 260,000 tickets—a gap of more than 640,000 tickets behind “The Odyssey.” This means “The Odyssey” has solidified its dominant lead in advance ticket sales, surpassing “Spider-Man 4,” which had been steadily attracting audiences since its release.

Korean audiences’ “love for Nolan” has already been proven by the numbers. Through films such as “Interstellar,” “Dunkirk,” “Tenet,” and “Oppenheimer,” Director Nolan has drawn a cumulative audience of approximately 36 million in Korea alone. Given the high level of fan loyalty toward the director and his works—so much so that Korea is often called “Nolan’s country”—attention continues to focus daily on the box office performance of *Odyssey*.
Demand for special screenings is also boosting the film’s box office performance. *Odyssey* is the first film in cinematic history to be shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. By capturing vast natural landscapes and large-scale battle scenes on an overwhelming scale, it is driving continued audience demand, particularly for special screenings such as IMAX and 4DX.

Analysts note that a key factor in the film’s success was Director Nolan’s decision to adopt a filming style optimized for large screens to enhance the film’s quality, thereby emphasizing the necessity of watching it in theaters. The perception that this is “a movie that must be seen in theaters” has driven audience turnout, particularly in special-format theaters.
Its box office performance in the global market is also drawing attention. According to Box Office Mojo, as of the 11th, “The Odyssey” had grossed $1,104,804,890 (approximately 1.563 trillion won) worldwide. This sets a new record, surpassing director Nolan’s previous highest-grossing film, “The Dark Knight Rises” ($1,085,420,000).

As *The Odyssey* breaks box office records simultaneously in both the domestic and global markets, there is growing interest in whether it will become Director Nolan’s second film to attract 10 million viewers, following *Interstellar*, which drew 10.38 million viewers. In particular, given that the film is maintaining a reservation rate in the 60% range even in its second week of release in South Korea, whether it will reach the 10-million-viewer milestone is expected to be a key point of interest.
A film industry insider stated, “Director Nolan enjoys a high level of trust in Korea for his work,” adding, “*The Odyssey* is also receiving rave reviews for its spectacular visuals and music, and with high anticipation for screenings in special theaters, we expect its box office momentum to continue beyond its second week of release.”
“The Odyssey” depicts the journey of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon), the hero who led the 10-year Trojan War to victory, as he sets out to return to his wife Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (played by Tom Holland). The film stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya Coleman, and Charlize Theron.