Summary

• Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's latest film, had an impressive opening weekend, grossing $80.5 million domestically.
• The star-studded ensemble cast and the storyline revolving around physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb have attracted audiences.
• This is Nolan's highest-grossing opening weekend outside of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, suring the earnings of Interstellar and Inception.

Oppenheimer has scored a huge opening weekend for director Christopher Nolan. The movie, which is his first since his 2020 science fiction epic Tenet, opened in theaters on July 21. Boasting a huge ensemble cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Gary Oldman, and many more, it follows the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy) and the creation of the atomic bomb.

Per THR, the Oppenheimer box office has raked in a dazzling opening weekend domestic gross of $80.5 million. While this still led the movie to open at No. 2 behind the smash hit Barbie, it is the best opening weekend for a Christoper Nolan movie outside of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. It beat the opening weekends of his previous hits Interstellar ($47.5 million) and Inception ($62.7 million) by a considerable margin.

Why Is Oppenheimer Doing So Well?

One curious thing about Oppenheimer’s blockbuster success is the fact that it doesn’t necessarily seem like a strong commercial prospect. A biopic about a physicist that is nearly three hours long and features many sequences shot in black-and-white isn't necessarily a guaranteed summer blockbuster. However, there are quite a few factors that helped it rise to the top of Nolan's filmography.

The first, and likely most important, factor in its success is the release of Barbie. While the Barbie box office trumped Oppenheimer's gross with an opening weekend north of $150 million, the fact that both movies were released on the same weekend led to a cavalcade of memes mashing up the diametrically opposed titles, which helped boost publicity for both. Oppenheimer was presented as either counterprogramming to or a perfect double feature with Barbie, allowing it to succeed in a way it might not have if it was the weekend's sole release.

Oppenheimer also succeeded thanks to Nolan himself. The director has become a huge brand name on his own merits, whether or not he is working with an established IP like he did with the Dark Knight trilogy. Thanks to his penchant for epic high-concept movies with A-list ensemble casts, his approach to the life of Oppenheimer likely intrigued more audience than a straightforward biopic would have if it was helmed by another director.

Source: THR