The Odyssey becomes highest-grossing R-rated film in history
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has overtaken Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated film ever at the worldwide box office. Its total could still climb further as it competes with Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, has become the highest-grossing R-rated film in box office history. According to figures compiled by The Numbers, the film has taken $1.35bn (£990m) worldwide, surpassing the previous record holder, Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, which has earned $1.34bn since its 2024 release.
An R-rating from the Motion Picture Association requires viewers under 17 to be accompanied by an adult, a restriction usually seen as limiting box office potential. The MPA gave The Odyssey its R-rating for "violence and some language." In the UK, the film received a 15 certificate for "strong violence," while Australia rated it M for "mature themes, violence and coarse language."
Other successful R-rated titles
Other R-rated films that have performed strongly include Nolan's previous release Oppenheimer, which benefited from the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon to reach $983m worldwide, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, which took $1.1bn, and the two standalone Deadpool films, which earned $782m and $786m respectively.
The figures also show that The Odyssey has found stronger interest among audiences outside the US. Deadpool & Wolverine remains ahead in North America, having taken $637m compared with The Odyssey's $516m.
However, The Odyssey's total could rise further, as it is currently competing at the box office with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has already surpassed $2bn worldwide, becoming the second-fastest film to reach that mark after Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
