The internet found humor in the fact that Christopher Nolan’s dark, thoughtful and three-hour WWII biopic Oppenheimer, and Greta Gerwig’s bright, campy and feminist IP movie Barbie, were releasing on the same day. As a result, the "Barbenheimer" meme was born, resulting in many planning for the world's most bizarre double feature. The idea caught on, resulting in incredibly high numbers of people seeing both auteur projects back to back. It became a complete box office sensation, leading to record-breaking opening weekends for both films. Even almost a month out, the films continue to have high turnout, with Oppenheimer having hit a wild box office number.
According to Deadline, Oppenheimer just passed the $600 million mark for the global box office, becoming Nolan’s fifth highest grossing movie. The film so far has outperformed Batman Begins and Dunkirk, and just extended its IMAX run due to high demand for the film. Oppenheimer is performing well above expectations and had one of the most lucrative openings for an R-rated drama ever with a $82 million opening weekend.
This is incredibly surprising, and one can conclude the Barbenheimer trend is having a massive impact on the film’s success. Granted, some audiences may not have initially been attracted to seeing a three-hour period drama in the theaters, despite the all-star cast at the center of Oppenheimer. However the pop culture moment surrounding the double feature did wonders for marketing the film and prompted many to see a film that they otherwise may not have. Positive word of mouth and excellent critic reviews have given Oppenheimer lasting power, allowing it to continue to gain and turn out strong box office numbers.
To be sure, greenlighting a $100 million dollar period drama to be released exclusively in theaters in an age of low theater turnout is a huge gamble. Oppenheimer even booked most of the IMAX screens in the country, much to the chagrin of Tom Cruise, who released his seventh Mission: Impossible film the weekend prior. Against all odds, audiences turned up to theaters, showing Barbieheimer was incredible press for the film, as well as the strength of Christopher Nolan’s reputation and magnetism as a filmmaker.
It’s still unknown if the success of Oppenheimer will have an industry-wide impact or will be considered a fluke. One thing's for sure, though: audiences are loving the film, which has given it a lasting power that goes beyond the Barbenheimer opening weekend. If these numbers say anything, moviegoers are looking for new stories and perspectives, and hopefully more ambitious projects are given the same theatrical treatment in the future. We will continue to follow the film’s growth and if it continues to break records and tops Nolan’s other films.
Oppenheimer is still playing exclusively in theaters, so make sure you check out the WWII epic on the biggest screen possible while you still can. For information about other films heading to cinemas later this year, you can consult our 2023 movie release schedule.
