The Odyssey and Moana deliver back-to-back blockbuster weeks for cinemas across New Zealand.

Auckland, New Zealand – Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic The Odyssey has made a record-breaking debut at the New Zealand box office, joining forces with Moana to deliver a major boost for cinemas across the country. 

The Odyssey opened to an impressive $2.05 million across New Zealand, marking the biggest opening weekend for a film so far this year, the biggest opening since Avatar: Fire and Ash, which released in December last year. The film also delivered 97,000 admissions.  

The global response has been equally extraordinary, with The Odyssey taking in $264 million USD worldwide in its opening weekend, Nolan’s biggest global opening ever and the second biggest IMAX opening of all time, behind only Avengers: Endgame. 

The film’s success follows the strong performance of Disney’s Moana, which has continued to attract audiences since opening last week. In its first two weeks, Moana has delivered 164,000 admissions and generated $3 million at the New Zealand box office.  

The Odyssey’s opening caps off a standout period for New Zealand cinemas, following the country’s highest admissions week of the year to date across 6th – 12th July with more than 313,000 admissions recorded nationwide, driven by titles including Moana, Minions & Monsters, and Toy Story 5.  

Matt Tremain, Sales Director of Val Morgan Cinema in New Zealand, said the combination of a strong school holiday period and major blockbuster releases has created an exciting period for cinema. 

“New Zealand audiences have shown incredible appetite for big-screen entertainment, with the school holidays delivering a fantastic result and audiences continuing to show up for major cinematic events and well-loved IP, said Tremain. 

“The Odyssey’s record-breaking opening has continued that momentum, and it’s been a fantastic period for cinemas across the country. As we head into the second half of the year, we’re looking forward to an exciting slate of releases that will continue to create opportunities for brands to connect with engaged cinema audiences.” 

Source: Numero, CineTAM.