Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Just Sank 'Deadpool & Wolverine' to Become the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movie Ever

Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Just Made Box Office History

Move over, Merc with a Mouth — there's a new record holder in town. Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' has officially sailed past 'Deadpool & Wolverine' to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, crossing roughly $1.34 billion worldwide. Yes, the same 'Deadpool & Wolverine' that stacked $1.33 billion thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's long-awaited team-up. Homer's ancient epic just out-swaggered Marvel's loudest duo, and honestly? Nobody saw this coming six months ago.

And because the internet is the internet, Ryan Reynolds already responded to losing his crown — with the kind of gracious, self-aware humor you'd expect from the man who turned Deadpool into a billion-dollar franchise three times over.

How an Ancient Greek Epic Beat Superheroes at Their Own Game

Let's be real: a nearly three-hour mythological epic doesn't scream "box office juggernaut" on paper. But Nolan played this one like a chess grandmaster. 'The Odyssey' is the first film ever shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and that "see it on the biggest screen possible or miss out" energy turned every showing into an event.

The cast did heavy lifting too. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, flanked by Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o — basically a roster that could carry three franchises on its own. Critics gave it some of the best reviews of Nolan's career, better even than 'Oppenheimer' or 'The Dark Knight', and word of mouth did the rest.

• $1.34+ billion worldwide and still counting
• Highest-grossing R-rated film ever, dethroning 'Deadpool & Wolverine'
• First movie shot entirely on IMAX cameras
• Career-best reviews for Nolan

When Can You Actually Watch It at Home?

Here's the catch — Universal is playing the long game. According to Variety, 'The Odyssey' hits digital platforms (rental and purchase) on November 17, the same day the 4K and Blu-ray editions land on shelves. That's a full four months after its theatrical debut, which feels ancient in today's streaming-everything-in-45-days era.

For comparison? 'Toy Story 5' — which also crossed the billion-dollar mark this year — went digital after just two months. But Nolan has special terms with Universal: the same 90-120 day exclusive theatrical window he negotiated for 'Oppenheimer'. The studio is clearly running the exact same playbook, and given that strategy printed money twice now, who's going to argue?

The Takeaway

'The Odyssey' proving that original-scale filmmaking, an all-star cast, and stubborn old-school theatrical windows can still demolish superhero records is genuinely great news for movies. If you haven't caught it in theaters yet, you've got until mid-November before Damon's Odysseus docks on your couch. Something tells us the IMAX re-release crowd is about to get a whole lot bigger.