Christopher Nolan's big-budget adaptation of Homer's ancient epic poem 'The Odyssey' has launched with just under $265 million in global ticket sales, marking the filmmaker's best opening since 'The Dark Knight Rises' in 2012 and surpassing his 2023 Best Picture winner 'Oppenheimer.' Made on a $250 million budget, the film ranks among the most expensive R-rated productions ever attempted. The record-breaking debut is seen as a rare Hollywood success built not on existing intellectual property franchises but on one of the oldest works of literature in the Western canon.