Numerous box office records have already been broken by Oppenheimer, the flick that gave Robert Downey Jr. his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The Christopher Nolan film features a large ensemble cast led by Cillian Murphy as theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, with other actors including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.
Arriving on July 21 of last year, the movie competed with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and made up half of ‘Barbenheimer’, the box office darling.
Well, with his Oscar-winning film smashing worldwide box office records, Murphy seems to have proven his star power once again. At over a whopping $963 million in box office receipts, this historical epic about the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ has become the most profitable film in movie history, surpassing even Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
What else? As of this writing, Nolan’s flick is the 59th highest-grossing movie ever made.
From Oscars to Box Office Success: Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer Reigns
Oppenheimer, helmed by Christopher Nolan, is the third-highest-grossing film globally in 2023. The $100 million film, which ran for 180 minutes and was distributed by Universal Pictures, went on to become the second highest-grossing R-rated movie. Based on the father of the atomic bomb, this bio-drama went on to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
With over $963 million in box office receipts as of March 18, 2024, Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer is currently the 59th highest-grossing movie of all time. In terms of worldwide box office receipts, it has successfully eclipsed Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
‘OPPENHEIMER’ crossed $963M at the worldwide box office.
The movie has now surpassed ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End’ and ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ at the global box office and is now the 59th highest grossing movie of all time. pic.twitter.com/egOeHNGRgm
— Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) March 17, 2024
The third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, directed by Gore Verbinski, features Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. It earned over $963 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 2007. Also, at the 80th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup.
Of course, given the immense popularity of the franchise and Depp’s star power, defeating Pirates of the Caribbean 3 at the global box office is no small feat for Nolan’s film.
But because of its gripping narrative, gorgeous visuals, and exceptional performances, Oppenheimer has gained international acclaim and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Christopher Nolan: His ‘Most successful’ film to date is Oppenheimer?
After a year (2023) filled with blockbuster hits, including Oppenheimer, which Christopher Nolan referred to as his “most successful” flick to date, he voiced his optimism for the film industry in an interview with Empire magazine. The biographical thriller about Robert Oppenheimer was the longest film in Nolan’s discography and his first R-rated picture in twenty years.
The Interstellar director chuckled and said,
“I’ve just made a three-hour film about Robert Oppenheimer, which is R-rated and half in black-and-white – and it made a billion dollars. Of course, I think films are doing great. The crazy thing is that it’s literally the most successful film I’ve ever made.”
“It is my highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom, and I have been doing this for 20 years”, Nolan, 53, went on, adding:
“So, I feel great about the state of the movie business based on my own experience. But also based on seeing other movies break out, seeing audiences come back.”
Senior Comscore media analyst Paul Dergarabedian describes it as “remarkable” that Oppenheimer has crossed the “$900 million global mark after only nine weeks in theaters”. He continued, saying (via Variety):
“It shows how an amazing film with a superstar director and a star-studded cast can turn a three-hour historical epic into a blockbuster mainstream hit.”
So, if you have not already, do yourself a favor and watch Oppenheimer; you will be glad you did!
Oppenheimer is available to stream on Peacock Premium. Also, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End can be seen on Disney Plus.
