Even as it continues to break box-office records worldwide, Christopher Nolan’s epic The Odyssey has fallen prey to piracy. The film has become the latest victim of online piracy after it was leaked on social media, barely a week after its release in theatres. Universal Pictures, the studio behind the film, has reacted to the piracy, affirming that it is taking action against the leak.
The Odyssey leaked online
International media publications reported that The Odyssey was leaked and widely circulated across multiple social media platforms. The Hollywood Reporter reported that a low-quality version of the film was posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, but was pulled down two hours later. In that time, it had garnered over 50K views. Many copies of the film are available on Telegram, HT was able to independently verify.
Universal reacts to The Odyssey leak
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures responded to the film’s leak on social media. “We became aware of the unauthorized posting of the film and immediately initiated takedown protocols. We take copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all appropriate remedies to protect our content and intellectual property rights,” the statement read.
The Odyssey continues to rule the box office
Despite the pirated versions leaking online, The Odyssey is still dominating at the box office, sailing past $600 million globally in its second weekend. The film earned $87 million in North America in its second weekend, taking its domestic gross to $286 million. The film has also earned over $350 million internationally during this time. Its worldwide gross now stands at almost $640 million. Much of that sum is from premium large-format screens. IMAX screens alone accounted for $48 million of the global earnings this weekend.
Impressively, the $87 million The Odyssey earned in its second weekend is more than what Nolan’s Oppenheimer had managed in its opening weekend three years ago. The biographical drama had earned $82 million in its first three days in 2023.
The film, based on Homer’s ancient Greek poem, follows King Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) dangerous voyage back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, including battles with mythical creatures, as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).
The film also stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Travis Scott, and Benny Safdie.