'The Odyssey' draws over 290,000 moviegoers on opening day, tops box office

On its opening day in South Korea, Christopher Nolan's latest film "The Odyssey" captivated audiences, drawing in over 290,000 moviegoers to claim the top spot at the local box office. This impressive figure accounted for 44.8 percent of all ticket sales on Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The opening day performance marked the third highest for films released this year, trailing only behind "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (around 688,000) and "Hope" (around 333,000).

Furthermore, "The Odyssey" secured the third spot among Nolan's own previous films in the country, following "Oppenheimer" (2023) with approximately 552,000 tickets sold and "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) with about 441,000. As of the morning of Aug. 6, the movie accounted for 47.6 percent of ticket presales, followed by "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at 34.2 percent.

Nolan himself made the trip to South Korea for the first time to promote his action-packed epic, which chronicles the perilous journey home of Odysseus, portrayed by Matt Damon, after his victory in the Trojan War. The film also boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, and Zendaya.