Sir Christopher Nolan’s big-screen version of The Odyssey has become one of the box office hits of the year and has sparked renewed interest in Homer’s original Greek myth. Book sales and audiobook listening figures have risen sharply as audiences have gone back to the source material.
The director’s take on Homer’s epic poem took $264m (£198m) at cinema box offices globally in its opening weekend, including $52m (£39m) on giant Imax screens. The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Zendaya and Samantha Morton.
Some of those fans have been inspired to revisit the original story, with sales of print editions rising by 700% in the UK last week compared with the same period in 2025. 
An audio version read by Sir Stephen Fry is now in the Spotify UK audiobook top 10, while Sir Ian McKellen’s narration has entered the equivalent chart in the US.
Sir Christopher Nolan has cited Emily Wilson’s translation as one of his sources. Almost 8,000 print copies of The Odyssey were sold in the UK last week, taking the total so far this year to 47,000. That is a 95% year-on-year increase, according to NielsenIQ BookData.
Why are bookshops seeing such strong demand?
British chain Waterstones said there had been “phenomenal” demand, particularly for the 2017 translation by Emily Wilson, which Sir Christopher has cited as one of his sources.
“We got more stock in but we weren’t anticipating quite the uplift, particularly on Emily Wilson,” Waterstones chief operating officer Kate Skipper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“So we’re getting deliveries every day and they’re flying out as soon as they land in the shops.”
What did Emily Wilson say about the film?
Wilson welcomed the impact of the film, but said Sir Christopher had left out some crucial elements of the poem.
“I want to celebrate the fact that so many more people are aware of The Odyssey and were brought back to the poem,” she told the Associated Press, external.
“But at the same time, I had the sense that Christopher Nolan was trying to pack everything in while missing themes that were essential to the poem.”
Many of those who have returned to the ancient story are younger people who are listening to the audiobook version. Listening figures on Spotify have risen by about 680% since the film’s release on Friday, Variety reported, external, with more than 80% of the listeners being Gen Z or millennials.
What’s the difference with IMAX films?
In cinemas, the film’s global takings include £12.6m from the UK, making it the second-biggest opening weekend in the country so far this year, behind Toy Story 5. In the process, The Odyssey broke the record for the highest takings in an opening weekend for a film on Imax screens in the UK, according to industry publication Screen Daily, external.
The three-hour epic, which stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway, was the first theatrical release to be shot entirely with Imax 70mm film cameras. While there are more than 50 Imax screens in the UK, only three are showing it using 70mm film projectors: the BFI and Science Museum in London, and Printworks in Manchester.
Film critic and Girls on Film podcast host Anna Smith told the Today programme that the format creates a more immersive experience.
“You do feel like you’re very close to the characters, you’re immersed in the action. So it is a heightened experience, I would say,”
Imax screenings are more expensive than regular cinema tickets, however. Metro film critic Tori Brazier said viewers who can get tickets may find the premium worthwhile, but noted the cost and the reality that many people now watch films on smaller screens.
“If you have the money and you’ve been lucky enough to book, I don’t think you would regret seeing it in Imax 70mm,” Metro film critic Tori Brazier said.
“But at the same time it’s very expensive and you know we do live in a world where lots of people watch films on laptop screens and phone screens now, so if you’re going to the cinema you’re going to have a big-screen experience regardless.”
The film’s UK box office total includes £12.6m, and its strong opening has placed it among the year’s biggest cinema releases while also driving renewed attention to Homer’s epic poem in print and audio formats.
Key Facts
- The Odyssey took $264m (£198m) globally in its opening weekend, including $52m (£39m) on Imax screens.
- UK print sales rose 700% last week compared with the same period in 2025.
- Almost 8,000 print copies were sold in the UK last week, taking the year-to-date total to 47,000.
- Spotify UK audiobook listening has risen by about 680% since Friday.
- The UK opening-weekend box office total was £12.6m, the second-biggest opening of the year behind Toy Story 5.
