Full Breakdown
Universal Reacts to “The Odyssey” Leak on X as Box Office Remains Strong
7/27/2026, 8:10:44 AM
Leak on X and Immediate Reach
On July 25, a high-quality bootleg of Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* was posted on X at 2:25 p.m. Pacific Time. Variety reported that the video amassed more than 2.1 million views within roughly two and a half hours before a takedown notice replaced the file and the account was suspended. A lower-quality copy appeared the following day, drawing about 50,000 views before it too was disabled, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Universal Pictures’ Copyright Response
Universal Pictures issued a statement—reproduced by Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter—saying the studio became aware of the unauthorized posting, immediately initiated takedown protocols, and would pursue all appropriate remedies to protect its intellectual-property rights. The studio’s effort succeeded in removing most, if not all, copies by Sunday morning, as noted by Deadline.
Box Office Performance Amid Piracy
Despite the leak, the film’s second-weekend earnings remained robust. Rentrak data cited by the Los Angeles Times placed domestic box-office revenue at $87 million for the sophomore weekend, a figure echoed by Variety. Deadline added that large-format screenings (IMAX, PLF and 70 mm) accounted for 57 % of that revenue, up from 53 % the prior weekend. The Hollywood Reporter highlighted that global receipts had already surpassed $600 million in the same period.
Broader Industry Reactions
Elon Musk, owner of X, used the platform to criticize the film’s casting choices and suggested his AI tool Grok Imagine could generate a “historically accurate” version, as reported by Variety. Meanwhile, fans countered the piracy attempts with “Rickrolling”—posting the 1987 Rick Astley music video in place of the film—to frustrate would-be viewers, a tactic described in both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.
Overall, the rapid removal of the bootlegged copies and the film’s continued box-office strength illustrate that, for a high-profile blockbuster like *The Odyssey*, piracy spikes have not yet translated into measurable revenue loss.
