HOYTS Delivers Biggest Weekend of 2026 as The Odyssey Breaks Box Office Records

Key Facts:

• Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* broke Australian box office records in its opening weekend (16-19 July 2026), grossing $13.4M and attracting over 587,000 moviegoers – the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for a non-franchise film in Australia.
• The film, starring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, holds a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated film in Nolan’s catalogue, surpassing *Memento* and *Oppenheimer*.
• HOYTS ranked as the number one cinema circuit in Australia during the opening weekend, with strong attendance across premium formats including IMAX, HOYTS APEX, D-BOX, Xtremescreen, and HOYTS LUX.
• The Australian box office is experiencing a significant revival, with revenue up 17% in 2026 compared to the previous year, with HOYTS cited as a key driver of this growth.
• The year’s top-grossing films at the Australian box office so far are *Michael* ($46.4M), *Toy Story 5* ($42.4M), and *The Devil Wears Prada 2* ($41.9M), with *The Odyssey* considered a strong contender to become the biggest release of 2026.

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HOYTS Delivers Biggest Weekend of 2026

as The Odyssey Breaks Box Office Records

• The Odyssey dominated the Australian box office in its debut weekend, grossing $13.4M to deliver the biggest opening of the year.
• The Odyssey has recorded the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for a non-franchise film in Australia.
• More than 587K moviegoers attended Australian cinemas for the opening weekend of The Odyssey.

In its opening weekend, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic The Odyssey dominated the Australian Box Office with record-breaking results as the film brought in $13.4M on its debut and attracted over 587,000 movie fans into cinemas between Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 July.

The highly anticipated film starring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway is also living up to expectations with its 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes*, making it the highest-rated film in Nolan’s catalogue, surpassing Memento (94%) and Oppenheimer (93%).

The film’s release on 16 July saw the highest grossing opening Thursday this year reaching over $2.36M, which was $820k ahead of Oppenheimer, which brought in $1.54M on its opening day in 2023 and went on to gross $42.6M.

HOYTS Group President and CEO, Damian Keogh said The Odyssey is one of the year’s standout box office successes, with the potential to become the biggest release of 2026.

“We congratulate Christopher Nolan and our partners at Universal Pictures on creating a truly cinematic event that has captivated audiences and driven HOYTS’ most successful weekend of 2026 to date,” Damian said.

“It’s fantastic to see such outstanding results for The Odyssey, with HOYTS proudly ranking as the number one cinema circuit in Australia throughout the opening weekend.

“It looks and sounds spectacular on our premium large format screens. The strong admissions we’ve seen across these experiences demonstrate the continued demand from movie fans to enjoy blockbusters like this on the best screens possible.”

At HOYTS, audiences can enjoy The Odyssey across a range of formats, including IMAX, HOYTS APEX, D-BOX, Xtremescreen and HOYTS LUX, alongside traditional cinema sessions, ensuring there’s an experience to suit every moviegoer.

So far this year at the Australian box office, Michael leads the way with $46.4M, followed by Toy Story 5, which has already reached $42.4M after just five weeks in cinemas, and the blockbuster The Devil Wears Prada 2, which has earned $41.9M.

These blockbuster figures reflect the ongoing revival of the Australian cinema market, with box office revenue up 17% in 2026 compared to last year. HOYTS Cinemas has been a pivotal driver in this resurgence, with HOYTS experiencing exceptional growth year-on-year, further cementing its place as Australia’s number one cinema chain.