[Edaily Starin, Reporter Choi Hee-jae ] Director Christopher Nolan’s new film, “The Odyssey,” has surpassed 8 million viewers and is racing toward the 9 million mark. With a faster pace of attracting audiences than “The Man Who Lives with the King”—the only film this year to reach 10 million viewers—attention is focused on whether Nolan will rewrite his box office history in Korea.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 31st, “The Odyssey” recorded a cumulative audience of 8,864,959 as of the 30th. Having surpassed the 8 million mark on the evening of the 28th—its 24th day in theaters—the film is now on the verge of breaking the 9 million barrier.
This is the fastest pace among films released this year. It achieved this two days ahead of the previous record holder for reaching 8 million viewers—the foreign film *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* (on its 26th day of release)—and ahead of Director Jang Hang-jun’s *The Man Who Lives with the King* (on its 26th day of release), which was the first film this year to reach the 10-million mark.
If “The Odyssey” surpasses 10 million viewers, it will become the second film this year to reach that milestone after “The Man Who Lives with the King” and the first “10-million-viewer foreign film” of 2026. Given that even among Hollywood blockbusters, only a handful have surpassed 10 million viewers in South Korea, the box office success of “The Odyssey” is drawing even more attention.

Industry observers are watching to see if *The Odyssey* can surpass the record set by *Interstellar* (10.38 million viewers), director Nolan’s highest-grossing film in Korea to date. Christopher Nolan is a leading director who has built a strong fan base and earned the trust of audiences, having drawn over 36 million viewers in Korea alone. In particular, “Interstellar,” released in 2014, surpassed 8 million viewers on its 25th day and 10 million on its 50th day, earning Nolan the title of Korea’s first “10-million-viewer director.”
Director Nolan has continued to demonstrate consistent box office success in Korea even after “Interstellar.” “Dunkirk” (2017) drew 2.82 million viewers, “Tenet” (2020) drew 2 million, and “Oppenheimer” (2023) drew 3.23 million. While box office results have varied depending on the film’s genre, scale, and release timing, South Korean audiences’ interest in *Odyssey*—his first film in 12 years since *Interstellar*—far exceeds that shown for his previous works.
In particular, the pace at which “Odyssey” is drawing audiences stands out even when compared to other foreign films that have surpassed 10 million viewers. “Avatar” (8 million on its 25th day), “Avatar: The Way of Water” (8 million on its 22nd day), and *Aladdin* (8 million on the 39th day)—all of which reached the 8-million mark around the 25th day after release before entering a long-term box office run—the momentum of *Odyssey*, which is on the verge of surpassing 9 million viewers before even a month has passed since its release, is exceptional.
If this momentum continues, observers predict that the film will significantly shorten the 50-day mark set by “Interstellar” to reach 10 million viewers and even break Director Nolan’s record for the highest-grossing film in South Korea.

At the heart of its box office success lies Korean audiences’ high trust in Director Nolan, along with the film’s overwhelming scale—an experience unique to the big screen. “The Odyssey” is the first film in cinematic history to be shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, and it brought Odysseus’s epic journey to life by actively utilizing real locations and physical sets. A craze for repeat viewings is also continuing, centered around special screening formats such as IMAX and 4DX.
Experts also agree that *The Odyssey* has succeeded in achieving both artistic merit and commercial success. Film critic Yoon Seong-eun stated, “‘The Odyssey’ has a special charm in that it portrays the adventures of Odysseus—an imperfect hero—and the various bizarre events he encounters as a live-action fantasy,” adding, “You can also feel a sense of catharsis in the final scene, where he resolves his guilt and trauma.” Critic Yoon further noted, “Given the current pace and enthusiasm surrounding the film, we can certainly expect it to surpass 10 million viewers.”
As the summer box office season winds down, interest is growing in whether *The Odyssey* will maintain its momentum and reach the 10-million-viewer milestone. All eyes are on whether it will surpass *Interstellar* to become director Nolan’s new highest-grossing film in Korea, and whether it can set the record as the first foreign film this year to reach 10 million viewers.
“The Odyssey” depicts the journey of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon), the hero who led the Trojan War to victory after a decade of conflict, 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.