Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Continues A Surprising MPA Rating Trend For The Director

Christopher Nolan is a singular filmmaker in Hollywood. For as obsessed as the business has been with franchises over the last 20 years, Nolan is like a franchise unto himself. Audiences will turn up to see his movies just because he's the one who made it. Now, Universal Pictures is really hoping that's the case with this summer's "The Odyssey," as it's not only a very expensive movie, but it's R-rated as well.

According to several reports, as well as a listing on the TCL Chinese Theatre website, "The Odyssey" has indeed been given an R rating. This makes for a bit of a surprising trend for the director. Nolan's 2023 hit "Oppenheimer" was his first R-rated movie in 20 years, dating back to "Insomnia"." It's not that Nolan hadn't dabbled in R-rated fare before that, as his early films "Memento" and "Following" were also in that camp. But since becoming a commercial filmmaker, he's leaned more into PG-13 ratings.

"The Dark Knight" was too good to be ignored and made $1 billion at the box office, but it was PG-13. So was the rest of his "Batman" trilogy. "Inception" and "Interstellar," two original, massive sci-fi hits made by Nolan, were similarly PG-13. Even his brutal World War II thriller "Dunkirk" managed to score a PG-13. Hence, the fact that Nolan's now made two big-budget movies for Universal in a row with an R rating is a bit surprising.

That said, Universal has every reason to trust Nolan and let him do his thing. "Oppenheimer" was the first blockbuster to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 20 years, making damn near $1 billion globally. For a biopic that's mostly composed of people talking (plus a killer sequence with a bomb going off), that's nothing shy of hugely impressive.

On the surface, "The Odyssey," an adaptation of Homer's epic saga of the same name that features an all-star cast led by Matt Damon as Odysseus, is far more commercial. The difference? "Oppenheimer" cost around $100 million to make. By no means a small budget but not huge for a Christopher Nolan motion picture. "The Odyssey," however, carries a reported $250 million price tag (not accounting for marketing), which makes it one of the most expensive R-rated movies ever made.

Universal is taking on a fair amount of risk. Then again, Nolan has proven himself to be one of the all-time great box office bets. He's one of the rare directors working today who can turn an original idea into a bonafide blockbuster. He's made a name for himself. Audiences have shown time and time again that they will turn up to see what he's been cooking, almost regardless of what it is.

Moreover, "Oppenheimer" isn't the only R-rated film to do big business of late. "Deadpool & Wolverine" was hugely profitable for Marvel, grossing over $1.3 billion in theaters worldwide after becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. In other cases, it would be strange to compare a non-franchise fantasy epic from an auteur filmmaker to a Marvel movie, but, again, Nolan is about as reliable as any brand out there. Profitability is never guaranteed, but if one were going to invest $250 million into an epic of this sort, Nolan is the guy you would bet on.

The cast of "The Odyssey" additionally includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. As for Nolan, he directed the movie based on his own adapted script.

"The Odyssey" hits theaters on July 17, 2026.