The Odyssey: The most successful R-rated movie of all time – ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine

Christopher Nolan breaks yet another record: "The Odyssey" is now the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. To date, the epic starring Matt Damon has grossed $1.352 billion at the global box office, according to Variety. Previously, "Deadpool & Wolverine" was the box office leader among films with this rating. The Marvel film reached a box office total of $1.338 billion in 2024.

This isn't the first record set by director and screenwriter Nolan's blockbuster. Just recently, the filmmaker broke one of his own records: "The Odyssey" is now the most successful film Nolan has ever made. In doing so, it surpassed the superhero blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises," which had previously been the top-grossing movie in his filmography. The Batman film grossed a total of 1.085 billion in 2012. "The Odyssey" had already broken a record upon its release: Its opening weekend gross was $264.1 million. No other Nolan film has ever had such a successful start at the global box office.

A star-studded cast alongside Matt Damon

The film is based on Homer's epic poem, which is approximately 3,000 years old. Nolan serves not only as screenwriter and director but also as producer. The film's cast features a stellar lineup of stars. The protagonist, Odysseus, is portrayed by Matt Damon. Rounding out the cast are Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Elliot Page, and Benny Safdie. In addition to its commercial success, the film has also been well-received by critics. Find out how we and other critics rate "The Odyssey" in our META review. We also asked ourselves why "The Odyssey" has been so successful. An opinion piece on KinoCheck gets to the bottom of it – you can read it here!

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds offers congratulations

In light of the new record of "The Odyssey", "Deadpool & Wolverine" star Ryan Reynolds didn't miss the chance to congratulate Nolan's team. The Deadpool actor accompanied his congratulations with a social media clip that mixes a fight between Deadpool and Wolverine with scenes from "The Odyssey." You can watch the video here:

Reynolds seems to be taking it in stride that "Deadpool & Wolverine" is no longer at the top of the R-rated box office. Especially since he certainly can't complain about a lack of success in the role of Deadpool. The unconventional Marvel hero already proved to be a box-office favorite with his first film in 2016. "Deadpool" grossed $782 million worldwide – a remarkable success that didn't wane in the sequel. Two years later, "Deadpool 2" was just as successful as its predecessor, grossing $785 million. When Deadpool was then paired with Wolverine – one of the most popular Marvel heroes of all time – there was no stopping it at the box office. The total of 1.3 billion remains impressive – despite the "defeat" at the hands of "The Odyssey."