How 'The Odyssey' hit box office milestone in Korea

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey surpassed 10 million tickets sold in Korea on Sunday, 33 days after its release, despite a slump in theater attendance. It became the second film to reach that mark in Korea this year and Nolan’s second 10-million ticket hit there after Interstellar. Analysts said its IMAX-first production, modern adaptation of Homer’s epic, and theatrical spectacle helped drive repeat viewings.

The film is 172 minutes long and was the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras.

The Odyssey is the second film to reach 10 million ticket sales in Korea this year, following The King’s Warden at 16.92 million tickets.

It is Christopher Nolan’s second 10-million ticket hit in Korea after Interstellar, which sold 10.38 million tickets.

Demand at the IMAX theater at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall became so intense that tickets were reportedly resold at more than seven to eight times face value.

Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik said viewers were also drawn by a feel-good effect that streaming services cannot match.

Published Sep 8, 2026 3:40 pm KST

Analog craftsmanship, timely themes, communal theater immersion propel Christopher Nolan's epic in Korea

Actor Matt Damon as Odysseus in a scene from Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" / Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Director Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” surpassed 10 million tickets sold on Sunday, just 33 days after its release in Korea, defying a slump in theater attendance.

The 172-minute historical epic is the second film to reach the 10-million mark in ticket sales this year in the country, following “The King's Warden,” which recorded 16.92 million tickets sold. It also marks Nolan's second 10-million ticket hit here following the 2014 sci-fi blockbuster “Interstellar,” with 10.38 million tickets sold.

Bolstered by relentless demand, industry analysts predict “The Odyssey” will soon overtake “Interstellar” to become the director's highest-grossing release in Korea, raising questions about how it captured audiences' attention in an era of streaming dominance.

Commitment to analog format drives repeat viewings

The film drew widespread attention even before its release as the first feature to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Overcoming extreme equipment weight and noise, Nolan's commitment to analog filmmaking resonated deeply with audiences. Pop culture critic Hwang Jin-mi said "moviegoers were moved by Nolan's serious dedication" to the medium and "responded just as seriously to the film's visual spectacle."

Demand surged for screenings at the IMAX theater at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, with tickets resold at more than seven to eight times face value. The spectacle also inspired repeat viewings, as fans flocked back to compare standard screenings against premium formats.

Director Christopher Nolan, left, and his crew film "The Odyssey" using an IMAX film camera. Captured from CBS’ YouTube channel

Modern take on classic resonates

Critics also cite the film's modern adaptation of Homer’s 2,800-year-old epic as a key reason for its appeal. Nolan focuses on xenia, the ancient Greek code of hospitality requiring hosts to shelter strangers and guests to treat their hosts with courtesy.

“While audiences are overwhelmed by the grand visual scale, they are also prompted to ask themselves if they are treating others according to the laws of xenia,” pop culture critic Kim Sung-soo said. “This thoughtful exploration of community drew deep empathy from viewers.”

Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, and his crew search an island for food in a scene from "The Odyssey." Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Rather than portraying Odysseus (Matt Damon) purely as the victorious hero of the Trojan War, the film presents a human grappling with the trauma of war. Hwang said that Nolan's intellectual depth weaves in contemporary issues.

“Director Nolan actively and modernly interpreted the original work, weaving in issues of race and feminism, and intellectually curious domestic audiences were captivated by the film's intellectual depth,” she said. “The film portrays Odysseus as a human suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and grappling with existential anguish, critiquing the runaway U.S. President Donald Trump, but it does not stop at criticism; its mature stance urging self-reflection must have resonated with audiences as well.”

Cinematic 'feel-good effect' streaming cannot match

Many critics also noted that the film reminded viewers why they go to movie theaters in the first place. Despite a runtime of nearly three hours and its adaptation of a daunting classic, the film delivers a thrill unique to theaters.

“The visual imagery and sound of ‘The Odyssey’ make viewers feel as if they have been pulled directly into that era,” Kim said. “Experiencing this kind of spectacle together with other viewers is impossible on streaming services.”

A moviegoer books a ticket at a theater in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik pointed out viewers' fatigue with purely provocative content from streaming platforms.

“Fatigue with streaming content that is merely provocative without offering genuine human connection likely also played a role,” he said.

“Audiences go to movie theaters for the emotional lift of moviegoing — a ‘feel-good effect.’ While ‘The King's Warden’ dealt with the tragedy of King Danjong, a deposed Joseon monarch, it left an uplifting feeling; ‘The Odyssey’ is similarly a comforting film that layers the director's insight over traditional storytelling.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

尽管影院观影人数有所下滑，克里斯托弗·诺兰执导的《奥德赛》在韩国上映33天后，于周日突破1000万张电影票。该片成为今年第二部在韩国票房突破1000万张的电影，也是诺兰继《星际穿越》之后在韩国的第二部票房破千万的作品。分析人士指出，该片首次采用IMAX格式、对荷马史诗的现代改编以及震撼的视听效果是推动观众重复观影的重要因素。

这部电影时长172分钟，是第一部完全使用IMAX摄影机拍摄的故事片。

《奥德赛》是今年韩国第二部票房突破1000万的电影，此前《国王的守护者》的票房为1692万。

这是克里斯托弗·诺兰继《星际穿越》（售出 1038 万张电影票）之后，在韩国第二部票房突破 1000 万张的电影。

CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall 的 IMAX 影院需求异常旺盛，据报道，电影票的转售价格超过了票面价格的七到八倍。

流行文化评论家金赫植表示，观众也被一种流媒体服务无法比拟的愉悦感所吸引。

发布于2026年9月8日下午3:40（韩国标准时间）

模拟工艺、切合时宜的主题以及沉浸式的集体观影体验，共同推动着克里斯托弗·诺兰在韩国的史诗巨作。

演员马特·达蒙在克里斯托弗·诺兰执导的电影《奥德赛》中饰演奥德修斯 / 图片由环球影业提供

克里斯托弗·诺兰导演的《奥德赛》在韩国上映仅 33 天后，周日票房就突破了 1000 万张，逆转了影院上座率下滑的趋势。

这部时长172分钟的历史史诗巨作是继《国王的守护者》（售出1692万张电影票）之后，今年美国第二部票房突破1000万大关的影片。这也是诺兰继2014年科幻巨制《星际穿越》（售出1038万张电影票）之后，在美国取得的第二部票房突破1000万的电影。

在持续不断的市场需求推动下，业内分析师预测《奥德赛》将很快超越《星际穿越》，成为该导演在韩国票房最高的作品，这引发了人们对该片如何在流媒体主导的时代吸引观众注意力的疑问。

对模拟格式的坚持推动了重复观看

这部电影在上映前就引起了广泛关注，因为它是第一部完全使用IMAX摄影机拍摄的长片。诺兰克服了设备极重和噪音等诸多挑战，他对模拟电影制作的坚持深深打动了观众。流行文化评论家黄真美表示，“观众被诺兰对电影媒介的认真投入所感动”，并且“对影片的视觉奇观也同样感到震撼”。

CGV龙山I'Park购物中心IMAX影院的放映需求激增，门票转售价格甚至达到票面价格的七到八倍。这场盛宴也激发了影迷们的重复观影热情，他们纷纷重返影院，比较普通放映和IMAX格式的观影体验。

导演克里斯托弗·诺兰（左）和他的剧组人员正在使用IMAX电影摄影机拍摄《奥德赛》。图片来自CBS的YouTube频道。

现代对经典的诠释引起共鸣

评论家们也指出，这部电影对荷马2800年前史诗的现代改编是其吸引人的关键原因之一。诺兰着重展现了“xenia”（希腊语，意为款待），这是古希腊待客之道，要求主人收留陌生人，客人则要礼待主人。

“观众在被宏大的视觉效果震撼的同时，也会反思自己是否遵循了待人接物的原则，”流行文化评论家金成洙说道。“这种对社群的深思熟虑引发了观众的强烈共鸣。”

在电影《奥德赛》的一个场景中，由马特·达蒙饰演的奥德修斯和他的船员们在岛上寻找食物。图片由环球影业提供。

这部电影并没有将奥德修斯（马特·达蒙饰）仅仅描绘成特洛伊战争的胜利英雄，而是展现了一个饱受战争创伤的普通人。黄哲伦表示，诺兰的深刻思考巧妙地融入了当代议题。

“诺兰导演以积极而现代的方式诠释了原著，巧妙地融入了种族和女权主义等议题，影片的深刻内涵深深吸引了国内求知欲旺盛的观众，”她说道。“影片将奥德修斯刻画成一个饱受创伤后应激障碍折磨、挣扎于生存困境的普通人，并对失控的美国总统唐纳德·特朗普进行了批判，但影片的批判远不止于此；它所倡导的成熟反思也一定引起了观众的共鸣。”

电影级的“治愈效果”是流媒体无法比拟的。

许多影评人也指出，这部电影让观众重新想起他们最初走进电影院的原因。尽管片长近三个小时，而且改编自一部鸿篇巨制，但这部电影依然带来了一种只有在影院才能体验到的刺激感。

金说：“《奥德赛》的视觉效果和音效让观众感觉仿佛置身于那个时代。在流媒体服务上，与其他观众一起体验这种壮观的场面是不可能的。”

周日，一名影迷在首尔一家电影院购票。（韩联社）

流行文化评论家金赫植指出，观众对流媒体平台上纯粹的挑衅性内容感到厌倦。

“人们对那些仅仅具有挑衅性而无法提供真正人际联系的流媒体内容感到厌倦，这可能也是造成这种情况的原因之一，”他说。

“观众去电影院是为了获得观影带来的情感慰藉——一种‘愉悦感’。虽然《国王的侍卫》讲述了被废黜的朝鲜王朝君主端宗的悲剧，但它给人一种振奋人心的感觉；《奥德赛》同样是一部令人感到慰藉的电影，它将导演的洞察力融入到传统的叙事方式中。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。