The Big Picture

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has reached a major milestone at the global box office, nearing $1 billion in earnings after over 100 days of release. Despite not showing the effects of the atomic bomb bombings, Oppenheimer received overwhelmingly positive reviews and holds a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Oppenheimer broke numerous records, becoming the third-biggest movie of the year, the biggest biopic of all time, and outperforming Nolan’s previous hit Inception.

Thanks in part to a recent re-release in IMAX theaters, director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has passed a significant milestone at the global box office, as it nears its long-awaited digital release date. The film debuted in theaters alongside Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in July, in what came to be known as the “Barbenheimer” event — a global movement that generated over $2.2 billion at the box office. And now, after having completed over 100 days of release, Oppenheimer has crossed the $950 million mark worldwide.

The biographical thriller has generated $325 million domestically, and another $625 million from overseas territories, as it continues its slow march towards the coveted $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. While $50 million might seem impossible at this stage, Oppenheimer will no doubt be re-released several times in the future, if not in the next few months, as its awards campaign heats up. Eventually, it will become Nolan’s third film to pass the billion-dollar mark. Producer Emma Thomas admitted that the movie outperformed everybody’s wildest expectations, playing like a summer blockbuster despite being a singularly intense epic about the end of the world. Starring Cillian Murphy in the lead role of the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the movie presented his subjective view of the creation of the world’s first atomic bombs, which effectively ended World War II after being dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Oppenheimer Broke Numerous Records Over the Course of its Run
Theatrical Performance Gross Domestic $325,264,495 International $625,406,087 Worldwide $950,670,582

Despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, criticism was directed at Nolan’s decision to not show the effects of the bombing in the film. He addressed these criticisms in a recent interview with Variety, and reiterated that he always wanted to present the story from Oppenheimer’s perspective. The movie sits at a “certified fresh” 93% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and continues to hold a 91% audience approval rating on the same platform.

Produced on a relatively lean budget of $100 million, the movie broke numerous records over the course of its run. Oppenheimer is the third-biggest movie of the year so far, the second-biggest R-rated film in history, and the biggest biopic of all time. It also became the biggest-ever World War II movie, and outperformed Nolan’s more populist hit Inception by a wide margin. Oppenheimer is expected to be a major contender during the awards season, and is considered a shoo-in for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor nods, in addition to a handful of technical categories. The movie will be released on digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on November 21. Be sure to pick up physical copies as per Nolan’s recommendation, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Oppenheimer The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Release Date July 21, 2023 Director Christopher Nolan Cast Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. Rating R Main Genre Biography