While it hasn’t exactly set the box office on fire, the new World War II drama Nuremberg, starring Russell Crowe, has overtaken the lifetime domestic haul of Downfall, often considered one of the best films ever made about that era. Downfall was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, and told the story of Adolf Hitler’s final days in a bunker, as the walls closed in on him. The movie was nominated for an Oscar in the category formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film, but it was also controversial for humanizing Hitler. In many ways, Nuremberg could be considered a spiritual follow-up, seeing as it begins just where Downfall ends. In under a week of release, Nuremberg has grossed nearly $6 million domestically, overtaking Downfall’s lifetime haul of $5.5 million. That said, Downfall was an international co-production set primarily in the German language, and it did the majority of its business overseas. Released in 2004, the movie made nearly $95 million worldwide — a remarkable amount for a German-language film. As things stand, Nuremberg will struggle to overtake it globally, despite the presence of two Oscar-winning stars: Crowe and Rami Malek, who play the Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring and the American psychiatrist tasked with understanding his psychology before the Nuremberg trials. Directed by James Vanderbilt, Nuremberg opened to mostly positive reviews, and is currently sitting at a 69% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Driven by a commanding performance from Russell Crowe, Nuremberg is a handsomely crafted historical drama, but its measured pacing and emotional restraint keep it from fully realizing the complexity of its subject.” Audiences seem to have embraced the movie; they’ve awarded it a “verified hot” 95% score on RT.
Oliver Hirschbiegel Made Another World War II Movie a Decade After ‘Downfall’

Downfall, on the other hand, is currently sitting at a “certified fresh” 90% on RT. Hirschbiegel went on to make his Hollywood debut immediately afterward, with the science-fiction flop The Invasion, which underwent significant re-shoots with the Wachowskis and James McTeigue at the helm. He also directed the critically derided biopic Diana, but bounced back with the acclaimed World War II thriller 13 Minutes, about a failed plot to assassinate Hitler. You can watch Nuremberg in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

November 7, 2025

Runtime

148 minutes

Director

James Vanderbilt

Writers

James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai

Producers

István Major, Richard Saperstein, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Paul Neinstein