The immense power of “Barbenheimer” was severely underestimated by everyone. This weekend marks a monumental clash between the movies “Barbie” directed by Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” directed by Christopher Nolan. As predicted, “Barbie” is dominating the domestic and global box office. However, “Oppenheimer” is also surpassing expectations by a significant margin.
Prior to the weekend, it was projected that the three-hour biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” would earn approximately $50 million domestically and $100 million worldwide by Sunday. Surpassing forecasts, the film grossed $33 million at the domestic box office on opening day, including $10 million from previews. As a result, weekend projections have been revised to over $77 million. The Hollywood Reporter estimates that the movie will generate nearly $90 million from 78 international territories over the weekend, leading to a projected worldwide debut of $165 million by Sunday.
The exceptional reception from audiences and critics has undoubtedly contributed to the incredible success of both films. “Oppenheimer” received an A CinemaScore on opening day and currently boasts a “fresh” 93% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. However, the ingenious marketing strategies employed cannot be overlooked. What started as a daring move transformed into a remarkable example of free publicity, igniting interest among cinephiles and average moviegoers alike. Over time, “Barbenheimer” evolved into an unprecedented cinematic event. While Greta Gerwig’s popularity continues to grow with each film she directs, Christopher Nolan remains one of the few directors who possesses both unparalleled creative freedom and the ability to attract audiences to theaters based solely on goodwill.
Throughout his illustrious career, Christopher Nolan has directed two movies, “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” that earned over $1 billion worldwide. Even his seemingly complex science-fiction films, such as “Inception” and “Interstellar,” raked in around $800 million each globally. Additionally, he holds the record for directing the highest-grossing World War II movie of all time, “Dunkirk” ($527 million worldwide). However, his most recent release, the science-fiction espionage film “Tenet,” struggled during the pandemic and only managed to gross slightly over $360 million worldwide, despite having a budget exceeding $200 million.
This Marks Another Win for Universal in 2023
Featuring Cillian Murphy in the lead role, “Oppenheimer” is rumored to have had a budget of $100 million. This collaboration between Universal and Nolan is set to yield significant profits for the studio. Universal had previously triumphed with films like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Fast X” earlier this year. After severing ties with Warner Bros., Nolan criticized the studio’s controversial release strategy, which involved simultaneous premieres on streaming platforms and in theaters. However, recent reports suggest that Warner Bros. is attempting to entice him back, leading to an intriguing turn of events. The ensemble cast of “Oppenheimer” includes Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and others. Check out our interview with Nolan here and stay tuned to Collider for further updates.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
