Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey has become the latest Hollywood film to fall victim to online piracy after a high-quality, full-length copy surfaced on X, attracting more than 2.1 million views before Universal Pictures successfully had it removed.
The unauthorized upload appeared on Saturday, July 25, just days after the historical epic premiered in theaters. According to multiple reports, the pirated version remained online for approximately two and a half hours, giving thousands of users enough time to watch, share and download the nearly three-hour film before the studio intervened.
Universal Pictures responded quickly by launching copyright enforcement measures that led to the original upload being disabled. The account responsible for posting the film was also suspended, limiting further distribution through the platform.
However, the takedown did not completely stop the circulation of the movie online.
A second, lower-quality version surfaced on Sunday, drawing nearly 50,000 views before it too was removed within about two hours following additional copyright complaints from the studio.
Following the removal of the original uploads, dozens of accounts attempted to capitalize on the film’s popularity by posting links that claimed to offer free streams of The Odyssey. Instead, many users were met with an internet prank known as a “Rickroll,” where they were redirected to Rick Astley’s iconic 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up rather than the movie itself.
The prank quickly became a trending joke among users who were searching for the leaked film, with screenshots of disappointed viewers flooding social media.
Despite the widespread attention surrounding the leak, the piracy incident appears to have done little to dent the film’s impressive theatrical performance.
The Odyssey continues to dominate the global box office during its second weekend in cinemas, earning an estimated $639.6 million worldwide. Of that total, $286.4 million has come from North America, while international markets have contributed another $353.3 million.
The strong performance places the film firmly on course to surpass the coveted $1 billion global box office milestone, making it one of the biggest commercial successes of 2026.
Industry analysts believe the film’s continued momentum reflects Christopher Nolan’s ability to attract audiences to cinemas despite the growing prevalence of piracy and home viewing alternatives.
One factor helping the film maintain its theatrical appeal is Nolan’s insistence that audiences experience The Odyssey in premium formats.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker shot the entire production using IMAX 70mm cameras, making it the first feature film ever completed entirely in the large-format system. Throughout the promotional campaign, Nolan repeatedly emphasized that the movie was designed specifically for the theatrical experience, encouraging fans to watch it on the biggest screens possible.
Premium IMAX screenings continue to sell out in several markets, with many moviegoers choosing the immersive cinematic experience over watching unauthorized copies online.
