Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is expected to have a historic start at the Indian box office if early trends are anything to go by. With bookings showing strong demand, particularly for IMAX and premium large-format screens, industry experts believe the film is on track to become Nolan’s biggest opening in the country.
The Odyssey could cross Rs 200 crore in India
Speaking about the film’s prospects, trade expert Akkshay Rathie exclusively told India TV that The Odyssey might collect at least Rs 20 crore on its opening day. “Well, Odyssey is poised to become Christopher Nolan’s biggest opener in India with a minimum of Rs 20 crore on day one. That’s almost looking guaranteed. And from there, with the weekend and the kind of demand there, especially for IMAX tickets and for the premium large formats, I wouldn’t be surprised if the weekend itself gets Rs 75 crore and above,” he said
The Odyssey releases on a clear window, Jana Nayagan to release next week
Rathie believes the film has the potential to enjoy a long theatrical run instead of being front-loaded. Positive reactions from trial screenings and the Indian premiere have only added to the optimism. He said, “And with the kind of reports that are coming in from the trials and the premiere that happened in India, it looks like this is a movie that will take not just an opening, but also a run. I wouldn’t be surprised if this comes into that Rs 200-crore range in India alone. And especially given the fact that there’s Jana Nayagan in the week after and the Spider-Man in the week after that.”
Despite competition from upcoming big-ticket releases, Rathie feels The Odyssey is well-positioned to sustain momentum at the box office. “Despite that, those numbers would be absolutely delightful. Keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that this isn’t just one of Christopher Nolan’s biggest draws in India, but also it goes on to become one of the biggest Hollywood grossers in the country because it has the merits, the anticipation and the hoopla to do it.”
Adult certification could affect the film’s reach
While the outlook remains overwhelmingly positive, Rathie also pointed to one factor that could impact the film’s overall box office potential. “The only thing that can probably limit it from going to the kind of numbers that Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame did and some of those bigger Hollywood films is the adult certificate to the film and the advent of violence, which will prevent a certain generation from going and experiencing The Odyssey. So that is an intrinsic issue, but then that is something that the filmmakers have created by design. Hoping that everyone who’s a potential audience for this movie goes in or enjoys it in big numbers across the length and breadth of India, where it plays.”
The Odyssey features an ensemble cast of Tom Holland, alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and Mia Goth. The film released on July 17.
