Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has extended its extraordinary run in South Korea, remaining No. 1 at the box office for 40 consecutive days and winning its sixth straight weekend at the top.
The film attracted about 449,000 viewers from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13, accounting for roughly 51.5% of all Korean ticket sales during the three-day weekend. Its total audience has now reached approximately 10.78 million, making it the seventh most-watched foreign film in Korean box office history.
The latest milestone also puts The Odyssey ahead of the previous 35-day consecutive No. 1 runs recorded by Avatar: The Way of Water and Suzume among foreign films released in South Korea since 2010.
The Odyssey Has Been No. 1 for 40 Consecutive Days
According to the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS tracking system, The Odyssey has held the top position every day since opening on Aug. 5.
That means the film has not surrendered the No. 1 spot at any point through Sept. 13.
Its sixth weekend continued the same pattern. From Friday through Sunday, the film sold 449,039 admissions, giving it another decisive victory over the rest of the Korean market.
The run is particularly notable because the movie is now entering its seventh week in theaters while continuing to dominate advance ticket sales.
Strong word of mouth and repeat viewing are helping the film maintain its momentum well beyond the initial weeks of release.
The Odyssey Surpasses Avatar 2 and Suzume’s 35-Day Runs
The 40-day streak gives The Odyssey one of the longest consecutive No. 1 runs achieved by a foreign film in South Korea since 2010.
It has now surpassed the 35 consecutive days recorded by Avatar: The Way of Water and Suzume.
The record is another major achievement for Nolan’s epic, which has continued to draw large audiences despite already crossing the 10 million-admission mark.
The film has also surpassed the cumulative Korean audience of Nolan’s earlier hit Interstellar, further strengthening its position as the director’s biggest theatrical success in the market.
The Odyssey Has Grossed Nearly $90 Million in Korea
Variety’s KOBIS-based figures put the film’s Korean weekend gross at approximately $3.9 million from 449,474 admissions across 1,648 screens.
That represented 51.4% of the entire weekend market.
Its cumulative South Korean gross has reached approximately $89.6 million, while total admissions have climbed to 10,782,715.
The slightly different admission figures reported by Korean outlets reflect the respective reporting and rounding of the weekend data, but all three reports point to the same result: The Odyssey remains firmly in first place.
Obsession Moves Into Second Place
The Hollywood horror film Obsession held second place during its second weekend.
It sold about 176,000 admissions between Sept. 11 and Sept. 13 and captured 18.6% of the weekend market.
Its cumulative audience has reached roughly 474,000, with Korean distributors expecting the movie to cross the 500,000-admission mark during the week.
Despite its rise to second place, Obsession remained far behind The Odyssey, which attracted more than twice as many viewers during the same three-day period.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Falls to Third
Spider-Man: Brand New Day dropped to third place in its seventh weekend.
The superhero film added approximately 84,700 admissions, taking its South Korean total to around 8.93 million.
Its cumulative local gross has reached about $68.7 million.
Even after seven weeks in theaters, the film remains one of the biggest performers in the Korean market this year, but its weekend audience was nowhere near The Odyssey’s level.
The Drama Opens in Fourth
The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, opened in fourth place.
The film earned approximately 29,500 admissions during the three-day weekend across 616 screens.
Since its Sept. 9 premiere, it has accumulated roughly 53,600 admissions, with a total gross of about $404,600.
The film therefore entered the Korean market well below the two major Hollywood holdovers at the top of the chart.
Local Film Road to Gyeongju Finishes Fifth
Korean family road-trip drama The Journey to Gyeongju placed fifth with approximately 17,200 admissions over the weekend.
Directed by Kim Mi-jo, the film stars Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam, Lee Yeon and Byun Yo-han.
Its cumulative audience has reached nearly 333,000, while its total gross stands at around $2.3 million.
The film combines a family story with revenge elements as its characters become caught in an increasingly difficult journey.
Hope Returns to the Top 10
Sci-fi thriller Hope rebounded into seventh place, adding about 14,700 admissions.
The Na Hong-jin-directed film, starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, has now accumulated approximately 4.57 million admissions.
Its Korean gross has reached about $36.2 million.
Inuyasha Movie Enters the Chart
Toho’s anime feature Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time entered the weekend chart in eighth place.
The film sold approximately 10,900 tickets across 129 screens.
Including earlier screenings, its cumulative audience reached nearly 19,800, with a total gross of about $159,900.
The film was directed by Toshiya Shinohara.
Forgotten Island Gets Early Screenings
Animated adventure Forgotten Island rounded out the top 10.
The film recorded approximately 9,300 admissions from festival and special preview screenings, bringing its pre-release total to nearly 11,800 viewers.
Its wide theatrical release is scheduled for Sept. 23.
Korea’s Weekend Box Office Falls Overall
Despite The Odyssey’s continued dominance, the Korean market as a whole was weaker than the previous weekend.
The combined weekend box office generated approximately $7.6 million, down from about $9.8 million the week before.
That makes The Odyssey’s hold even more striking: while the overall market contracted, Nolan’s film continued to capture more than half of all weekend ticket sales.
What Makes The Odyssey’s Korean Run Significant?
The Odyssey is based on Homer’s ancient epic and follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, during his perilous journey home after the Trojan War.
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
Nolan wrote, produced and directed the film after previously making major theatrical successes including Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet and Oppenheimer.
Its Korean performance has now moved beyond a normal blockbuster run.
After 40 consecutive days at No. 1, six straight weekend victories and more than 10.78 million admissions, the question is no longer whether The Odyssey can remain competitive in Korea.
The bigger question is how much further its record-setting run can go before its theatrical momentum finally slows.
Fast Facts
| Detail | The Odyssey |
|---|---|
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Korean release | Aug. 5, 2026 |
| Current No. 1 streak | 40 consecutive days |
| Consecutive weekend wins | 6 |
| Total Korean admissions | 10.78 million+ |
| Korean gross | About $89.6 million |
| Sixth-weekend admissions | About 449,000 |
| Weekend market share | About 51.4–51.5% |
| Previous streak surpassed | 35 days |
| Films surpassed | Avatar: The Way of Water, Suzume |
FAQs
How many days has The Odyssey been No. 1 in Korea?
The Odyssey has remained No. 1 at the South Korean box office for 40 consecutive days through Sept. 13, 2026.
How many people have watched The Odyssey in Korea?
The film has attracted more than 10.78 million admissions in South Korea.
Did The Odyssey beat Avatar 2’s Korea box office streak?
Yes. Its 40-day No. 1 run surpassed the 35-day streak previously recorded by Avatar: The Way of Water.
How many weekends has The Odyssey topped the Korean box office?
It has won six consecutive weekends at No. 1.
Who stars in The Odyssey?
The film stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
When was The Odyssey released in Korea?
The Odyssey opened in South Korea on Aug. 5, 2026.
