'Odyssey' tops advance ticket sales for 23 consecutive days as social media challenges go viral

Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey" has broken the record for the longest consecutive run at No. 1 in advance ticket sales this year, with its box-office momentum showing no signs of cooling. Memes and challenges inspired by the film have also taken off on social media, carrying its most memorable moments well beyond the cinema screen.

According to industry sources Tuesday, "Odyssey" has held the top spot in advance ticket sales for 23 consecutive days. The streak surpasses the previous record set earlier this year by director Yeon Sang-ho's "Gunche."

Social media has been just as heated as the film's box-office performance, with short-form challenges and memes drawn from standout scenes spreading rapidly online.

By far the most popular trend is the "Odysseus Challenge," in which users recreate the hero's iconic bow-drawing scene using gym equipment or low-budget cosplay, flooding platforms with a wide variety of parody clips.

Memes depicting Odysseus lashed to the mast and crying out as he hears the deadly Sirens' song have also caught attention, with users mapping the scene onto relatable everyday situations. Short clips captioned with scenarios like "me smelling food while on a diet" have drawn widespread laughs.

The witch Circe has inspired her own wave of memes as well. The scene in which she roughly rubs the faces of gluttonous soldiers and transforms them into pigs has sparked a flood of creative reinterpretations from social media users.

Users have filmed themselves stroking the faces of pets that steal their food, or sneaking up on friends mid-meal to warn them about their diet. Online reactions have included comments such as "I cleaned out a hot pot restaurant on Tuesday and then watched Odyssey — now I'm scared" and "If you binge eat in front of Circe, you turn into a pig …," with viewers sharing their lingering impressions of the film.

Short-form videos riffing on the loyal dog Argos — the only one to recognize Odysseus upon his return home after 20 years — have also gained traction, with users wrapping themselves in blankets like the hero and showering their own dogs with affection in playful skits.

Universal Pictures said "Odyssey" is creating "a vast online playground where audiences go beyond the theatrical experience to become the characters themselves, reinterpreting iconic scenes in their own way and sharing them with the world." The studio added that "the constant stream of new content born from audiences' voluntary participation is a testament to the passionate attention and deep immersion the film has inspired."

"Odyssey" is a blockbuster based on Homer's classic epic poem "The Odyssey." The film follows Odysseus, who led the Greeks to victory in the Trojan War, on his decade-long journey home to Ithaca as he overcomes trials sent by the gods.