Christopher Nolan’s latest film, The Odyssey, has achieved remarkable success, dominating the box office throughout the past week. As some films struggle to keep up with their franchise ancestors this summer, The Odyssey proves to be an exception. Universal Pictures’ adaptation of Homer’s epic story generated $123 million domestically and over $263 million worldwide during its debut weekend. This marks Nolan’s best opening weekend globally, surpassing that of The Dark Knight trilogy and even the 2023 Oscar-winning Oppenheimer.
Continuing its strong performance, The Odyssey has amassed over $320 million worldwide within a week. Its consistent daily earnings highlight its appeal, with domestic figures of over $18 million on Monday and Wednesday and more than $21 million on Tuesday.
In contrast, many established franchises have not shared the same success this summer. Disney’s live-action remake of Moana, featuring Dwayne Johnson, disappointed with a $43 million domestic opening. This pales compared to the original animated film’s $56 million opening in 2016 and the 2024 sequel’s $140 million debut. The live-action version has so far generated only $186 million globally, with production costs around $250 million, potentially leading to a $100 million loss for Disney.
Another film underperforming is Supergirl from Warner Bros, which debuted with $37 million domestically. It faces challenges in surpassing $150 million worldwide during its theatrical run, a sharp contrast to last year’s successful Superman which earned over $600 million globally. Warner Bros. may incur a $100 million loss due to its underperformance.
Franchises such as Minions & Monsters have also seen disappointing earnings. Its opening weekend earned just $37 million domestically, and the film has grossed approximately $366 million worldwide. This represents the lowest performance for the Despicable Me series.
Meanwhile, the The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, part of the Star Wars saga and released in May, has grossed $340 million worldwide. This places it as the lowest-grossing Star Wars film, overtaking the title previously held by the 2018 prequel Solo, which earned $392 million.
Some current box office trends break this cycle of franchise fatigue. Notably, Toy Story 5 premiered with an impressive $159 million domestically and is on track to reach $1 billion globally. Similarly, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie started strong with a $131 million domestic weekend in April, eventually exceeding $1 billion worldwide. In addition, Scream 7 achieved $63 million during its February debut weekend and has since crossed the $200 million mark globally.
“Original” films have also performed well this year. Project Hail Mary, featuring Ryan Gosling and adapted from Andy Weir’s book, surpassed $680 million at the box office in the spring, marking Amazon Studios’ highest-grossing film. Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, grossed over $1 billion worldwide, overtaking the film distributor’s Hunger Games and Twilight series.
Low-budget films have surprised audiences and studios alike. Obsession, a horror flick by content creator Curry Barker, quickly broke records with a global gross exceeding $400 million. Similarly, Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons, debuted with $81 million and went on to earn over $360 million worldwide. This set a record for A24, showcasing how smaller productions can surprise at the box office.
The summer’s last major release comes with Spider-Man: Brand New Day by Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios. The film faces high expectations, given the previous installment, Spider-Man: No Way Home, opened to $260 million domestically in 2021.
Aside from broader fatigue surrounding franchises, the new Spider-Man film must contend with the superhero fatigue evident within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recent releases such as Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps did not meet financial expectations, challenging Marvel Studios to reignite audience interest.