'Oppenheimer' Global Box Office Blows Past Expectations
The Barbenheimer opening weekend is full of surprises with two strong movies dominating the box office globally. While Margot Robbie’s Barbie is setting its own milestones, Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer isn’t far behind, the movie opened as the second-best domestic opening for a movie this year and its global box office is equally impressive. The Christopher Nolan feature garnered $174 million at the global box office in its opening weekend.
The movie has performed better than original projections and is supported by rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The Barbenheimer phenomenon has also contributed to the brilliant success of both films as fans booked the double feature in advance and celebrated them in their own way. While the movies are polar opposites in their look, plots, and genre, nothing could stop fans from enjoying the fun, campy world of Barbie and topping it up with Oppenheimer’s intense drama.
What’s Oppenheimer About?
Nolan has been long interested in the life and works of the father of the atomic bomb and referred to him in passing in his previous project. While he penned the script in a rare first-person’s point of view, it is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The movie spans several decades covering the life and work of the renowned scientist and the people around him who were invested in the Manhattan Project.
Image via Universal Pictures
The director famously wanted to bring the audience in the room with the scientists and the team behind the Trinity Test, who knew well that they risk destroying the world while hitting the button for the atomic test and did it anyway. The IMAX technology innovated for the movie aims to provide the audience an intimate look at the inner thoughts of Oppenheimer to support the first person's point of view. Oppenheimer also famously does not use CGI for capturing the atomic explosion. With a terrific star cast and geniuses behind the camera, Oppenheimer will certainly rise up to be the awards season darling along with its massive box office run.
The movie also casts Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife – Kitty Oppenheimer, Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr. – director of the Manhattan Project, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, and Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock. Further rounding off the cast are Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Jack Quaid and many more.
Oppenheimer is in theatres now. You can check out Collider's conversation with Murphy below:
Source: Collider
