The Odyssey becomes highest-grossing R-rated film of all time with a $1.35 billion haul, beats Deadpool & Wolverine

The release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have slowed its collections a bit, but Christopher Nolan 's blockbuster epic film The Odyssey continues to surpass milestones each day. This week, the Matt Damon-starrer has set another record in its celebrated box-office journey, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. And it had to beat two superheroes to do that.

The Odyssey is now the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, having earned $1.352 billion worldwide. The epic adaptation of Homer's Odyssey has earned $516 million in theUS and Canada, and over $800 million internationally. This takes its global haul past the $1.338 billion mark set by Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.

The Odyssey opened in theatres on July 17 and collected a mighty $123 million in its domestic debut. Its international earnings were even more impressive. In July, it became the sixth film this year to cross $1 billion and is currently the second-highest-grossing film of the year, behind only Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In July, its earnings saw a boost after its delayed release in China. The film is projected to earn over $1.5 billion before the end of its run.

Deadpool & Wolverine may have lost the crown to The Odyssey, but its star, Ryan Reynolds, celebrated the milestone on social media. The actor shared a clip from his 2024 film and wrote, “Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of The Odyssey for becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. That is one helluva car.”

The Odyssey has also become the highest-grossing movie of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland's respective careers.

The film, based on Homer's ancient Greek poem, follows King Odysseus' (Matt Damon) dangerous voyage back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, including battles with mythical creatures, as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).

The film also stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Travis Scott and Benny Safdie.

The Odyssey received universal critical acclaim upon release, with praise for its performances, dramatic narrative, and visual style, apart from the score. It is considered to be a favourite for the Oscars next year.

Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border.