Universal Launches Copyright Protection Measures After 'The Odyssey' Leak
Pirated copies of Nolan's spectacle circulated on platform X over the weekend, yet the film still records a record second weekend with over $600 million in global earnings.
Pirated copies of Nolan's spectacle circulated on platform X over the weekend, yet the film still records a record second weekend with over $600 million in global earnings.
Film studio Universal Pictures responded to the unauthorized release of director Christopher Nolan's film 'The Odyssey' on social media platform X, the studio confirmed in a statement to Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. "We became aware of the unauthorized posting of the film and immediately initiated takedown protocols. We take copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all appropriate remedies to protect our content and intellectual property rights." the studio's statement reads.
According to Hollywood Reporter, on Saturday, July 25, 2026, a higher-quality version of the film began circulating on X, garnering millions of views and thousands of reposts before being removed. The account from which the copy was posted was subsequently suspended. One platform user commented on the situation with the words: "Someone upload 'The Odyssey' full movie on X. Can you believe it?"
The next morning, on Sunday, July 26, 2026, a lower-quality version appeared on the platform, which was removed after approximately two hours, but only after garnering nearly 50,000 views. A message later appeared on the post: "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."
Hollywood Reporter notes that studios, in addition to targeting individual links and posts, are also trying to suppress the broader pirating ecosystem. The time required to remove content varies from platform to platform, and X, owned by Elon Musk, is known as a platform that is difficult to cooperate with on such requests.
According to Deadline, some fans organized themselves to disrupt those who wanted to watch pirated copies. They posted clips that at first glance looked like the beginning of the film with Universal's globe and logo, but actually contained a two-hour supercut of Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up", a well-known practice called rickrolling.
Piracy did not slow the film's commercial success. According to Hollywood Reporter, 'The Odyssey' surpassed $600 million in global earnings in its second weekend of release, while according to Deadline, it earned $87 million in the domestic US market. Deadline also notes that the film became Nolan's best second weekend at the domestic box office ever.
Large formats such as IMAX, PLF, and 70mm projections accounted for 57 percent of the second weekend's revenue, compared to 53 percent in the first weekend of release, according to Deadline. Nolan emphasized before the premiere that the film was shot entirely in IMAX format to provide viewers with the best possible cinema experience.
According to Hollywood Reporter, the film is based on Homer's ancient Greek epic and follows King Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, on his dangerous journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, including encounters with mythical creatures as he tries to reunite with his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, and his son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland. The film also stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Travis Scott, and Benny Safdie.
