Christopher Nolan's epic biographical thriller, Oppenheimer, continues to gather box office momentum amid its charge to reach the $1 billion mark nearly three months following its premiere.
Per Collider, Oppenheimer earned another $69,000 at the domestic box office on Oct. 13, bringing total ticket sales across North American theaters to $323.4 million. Though the most recent tally represents a 40% dropoff from the previous week, Oppenheimer managed to jump one place higher in the domestic box office charts. The Universal Pictures flick ranks fifth among domestic releases this year.
Oppenheimer now sits at $942 million at the global box office, ranking as the third-highest-grossing movie of 2023, trailing Barbie ($1.44 billion) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.35 billion). The summer blockbuster's commercial success is impressive when you consider it went head-to-head with Barbie as both movies were released on Jul. 21. Additionally, Oppenheimer faced stern competition from Tom Cruise's spy thriller, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. However, its significant box office stronghold over Dead Reckoning Part One was aided by its extensive run in IMAX theaters.
Oppenheimer chronicles the titular theoretical scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his role in the Manhattan Project, the historic initiative that birthed the world's first nuclear weapons. The star-studded flick also stars Emily Blunt (Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer), Florence Pugh (Jean Tatlock), Matt Damon (Leslie Groves) and Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss). The movie has been widely praised by critics and major industry players including Dune franchise helmer Denis Villeneuve and Martin Scorsese.
Oppenheimer Ranks High at the Box Office
For Nolan, Oppenheimer ranks as one of his most financially viable feature-length projects of all time, with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises being the only movies to gross more internationally for the award-winning director. The movie has been deemed as Nolan's "magnum opus" by Murphy and has garnered the director Oscar buzz as many critics believe it could contend for several major awards. Additionally, Oppenheimer is the highest-grossing biopic of all time, recently passing Bohemian Rhapsody.
Though Oppenheimer stands a small chance of reaching the $1 billion mark, the movie has recently been helped by its strong showing at the Chinese box office, ranking as one of the market's best-performing foreign titles. The film is expected to hit video-on-demand this November, though there is no word on when it will hit streaming services.
Oppenheimer is now showing in theaters.
Source: Collider