{
  "id": 6997931,
  "title": "The Odyssey just became Universal's highest-grossing movie ever",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/the-odyssey-just-became-universals-highest-grossing-movie-ever",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-12T18:14:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/odyssey-universals-highest-grossing-movie-ever"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Warner Bros. infuriated Christopher Nolan, a former A-lister at the studio, by releasing his sci-fi epic Tenet directly to streaming during the pandemic, rather than flooding theaters. The move likely stemmed from financial pressures during lockdown periods. In response, Nolan severed ties with Warner Bros. and directed his subsequent films, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey, to Universal Studios. As THR reports, Nolan's latest offering, The Odyssey, has surpassed all previous records, becoming Universal's highest-grossing film ever, surpassing even the studio's own \"Barbenheimer\" hit Barbie. With $1.684 billion in worldwide box office revenue, The Odyssey now outperforms its predecessor, Jurassic World. Nolan's former partner Tom Holland and Zendaya lead the cast, making it only the second highest-grossing movie of 2026 alongside another Tom Holland-Zendaya collaboration. The Odyssey currently stands as the 14th best-performing film globally, underscoring its massive reach and impact.",
  "summary": "Somewhere, a Warner Bros. executive is staring into the darkness, imagining how much money they lost by pissing off Nolan with Tenet back in 2020.",
  "key_points": [
    "The Odyssey becomes Universal's highest-grossing film with $1.684 billion worldwide",
    "Nolan's Tenet release on streaming angered him and Warner Bros.",
    "The Odyssey outperforms Jurassic World and is only second highest of 2026"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}