Hollywood is having a field day at the box office. Christopher Nolan’s R-rated biopic Oppenheimer grossed an astounding $80.5 million in its opening weekend, with $33 million of that amount coming from opening-day previews. The number far exceeds the $50 million that analysts were projecting it to make, thanks to its genre, subject-matter and R rating.
The opening may seem like a small number without the additional context, but it’s a far cry from it. Universal Pictures is jubilant at the numbers, with Jim Orr, their president of domestic distribution praising Nolan’s cross-border fame.
This is a 1940s period piece. That speaks volumes to the appeal of Nolan and his prowess as a filmmaker. He has an amazing reputation for storytelling in the biggest format possible.
Nolan has also been a vocal proponent of film as a format in general and IMAX in particular, opting to shoot Oppenheimer in 65mm. And the move has paid off, with 47% of the domestic opening coming from Premium Large Formats capable of projecting that IMAX-quality footage. IMAX itself contributed $35 million to the opening numbers, with showtimes selling out all over in record numbers, as IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond revealed.
Around the world, we’ve seen sellouts at 4 a.m. shows and people traveling hours across borders to see Oppenheimer in Imax 70mm. This is a phenomenon beyond compare in Imax, and we’re just getting started.
This is definitely something I can personally attest to. I’ve seen 3:45 AM IMAX screenings sold out, with all but the front-row seats available in some cases.
The summer’s other release, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has outdone Oppenheimer significantly. Grossing nearly double of Nolan’s biopic, Barbie made $155 million domestically and $182 internationally, for a worldwide haul of $337 million. Warner Bros. marketing did a terrific job in making it an unforgettable event that seeped into public consciousness.
Oppenheimer also received renewed interest thanks to the Barbenheimer phenomenon that ended up promoting both movies and encouraging audiences to see them as a double-feature. This undoubtedly contributed to the spruced up earnings, generating a combined domestic weekend of $235 million that only falls behind such behemoths as Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The fact that these existing record-holders belong to well-established and, arguably two of the most popular franchises, whereas this weekend’s movies are original stories is saying something. Of course, it’s not quite a fair comparison since it’s one movies against two, but it’s a notable feat regardless.
Oppenheimer has also done well across the globe. Internationally, the film collected $93.7 million for a worldwide box office total of $174 million. Amongst its strongest or most prominent markets include the United Kingdom ($10 million), India ($7 million), Saudi Arabia ($3.9 million), UAE ($2.8 million), and the Netherlands ($2.8 million). The movie has been well-received by critics and audiences alike, sitting at 93% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomaties and holding a Metacritic score of 89 which, if you’re familiar with how notoriously low the averages on that site can be, is insanely high.
Oppenheimer released in theaters on July 21, 2023. Directed by Christoper Nolan for Universal Pictures, it is adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin and features a star-studded cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh, Alden Ehrenreich, Dane DeHaan, and David Dastmalchian. Tickets for the movie are now on sale.
