'Odyssey' hits 8 million admissions in 24 days, tops foreign-film chart for 2026

Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey" is rewriting the box-office playbook at Korean cinemas. The film surpassed 8 million admissions in under a month, claiming second place among all domestic releases this year and the top spot among foreign films. What makes the run remarkable is not just the steep climb — it is that the curve has yet to turn downward.

As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the film had drawn about 8.471 million viewers, according to distributor Universal Pictures, edging past "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (about 8.454 million) to become the second-highest-grossing foreign film of 2026.

The pace of "Odyssey" at Korean theaters has been extraordinary. It crossed 1 million admissions in four days, 2 million in six, 3 million in ten, 4 million in twelve and 5 million in thirteen. The jump from 4 million to 5 million took just a single day.

That kind of early momentum is not unusual for a blockbuster. What sets "Odyssey" apart is what came next. The film reached 6 million on its 17th day, 7 million on its 19th and 8 million on its 24th — sustaining its trajectory in a way few films manage. It also set a record as the fastest domestic release this year to reach 8 million admissions.

The film posted dominant numbers from its opening weekend, drawing about 1.33 million viewers over the three days through Aug. 9. Its seat-occupancy rate stood at 72.1 percent as of Aug. 9.

Nine foreign films have crossed the 10 million mark in South Korea to date: "Avengers: Endgame" (about 13.98 million), "Frozen 2" (about 13.77 million), "Avatar" (about 13.62 million), "Aladdin" (about 12.8 million), "Avengers: Infinity War" (about 11.23 million), "Avatar: The Way of Water" (about 10.8 million), "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (about 10.5 million), "Interstellar" (about 10.34 million) and "Frozen" (about 10.3 million).

Each reached that milestone differently. "Avengers: Endgame" was a front-loaded phenomenon, crossing 10 million in just 11 days. "Aladdin," by contrast, built slowly on word of mouth and took 53 days to reach the same threshold.

"Odyssey" appears to be combining both approaches — a powerful opening driven by Nolan's brand and fandom, followed by sustained momentum fueled by the viewing experience itself and word of mouth, as it steadily advances toward the 10 million mark.

Nolan's biggest hit in South Korea remains "Interstellar," which opened in 2014 and drew about 10.38 million viewers. The trajectory of "Odyssey" closely mirrors that film's early-to-mid run: "Interstellar" also surpassed 8 million cumulative admissions on its 25th day.