"I am become big box office, destroyer of records."
But how did a three-hour biopic about a scientist become a surprise box office smash?
Here's the secret to "Oppenheimer"'s explosive success.
Let's start with the elephant in the room.
"Oppenheimer" was pitted against the Margot Robbie-led "Barbie" from day one.
In the lead-up to the film, the competition between these two diametrically opposite stories
was obvious everywhere, so much so that the experience was quickly dubbed "Barbenheimer"
by avid fans from both camps.
Mattel's movie, helmed by the immensely talented Greta Gerwig, was guaranteed to attract a
massive millennial following (along with their own offspring) in the name of nostalgia.
"This is the best day ever."
At the same time, "Oppenheimer" had a disturbingly fatal attraction for countless viewers due
to the many other reasons included on this list.
This led to one of the strangest standoffs that we've seen at the box office in ages.
Two heavyweight movies by well-known directors, each able to hang with the best of them and
bring their own fanbases to theaters at the same time.
They went toe-to-toe on opening night, and, in many cases, movie-goers embraced the friendly
competition by booking back-to-back showings.
The result was a surge of marketing momentum that benefitted both films.
Even if "Oppenheimer" came in a distant second at the box office, there's no question that
both movies were better off for the mutual energy.
The mainstream marketing for "Oppenheimer" consisted of solid, well-executed, traditional
studio marketing: splashy posters and cryptic teasers.
The film's release on the same weekend as "Barbie" created a natural competition that
helped both exceed expectations.
But there's another factor that can't be overlooked when considering what contributed to both
films' success: the memes.
"Do you guys ever think about dying?"
The "Barbenheimer" concept was more than a conversation.
It also manifested in visual form via an endless string of fan-made crossover art.
These featured various iterations of Barbie and Oppenheimer in the same picture.
Often the somber orange overtones associated with the latter would blend with the cheery
optimism of the former.
Throughout this organic, fan-driven marketing campaign, it also created one of the greatest
grassroots marketing movements of all time.
It helped propagate the double-header concept that many embraced on opening weekend, and
the jarring combination of the films' promotional materials ensured that everyone was aware
that these two movies were coming out.
Another "Barbie"-related factor that contributed to the success of "Oppenheimer" is the fact
that the biopic provided a welcome counterweight to the pink-heavy "Barbie" experience taking
place, in most locations, one theater over.
The Margot Robbie film may have been a huge hit with a wide audience, but it didn't speak
to everyone.
The simultaneous release of "Oppenheimer" meant anyone interested in a more sobering
and philosophical cinematic experience could skip the over-the-top positivity of "Barbie."
The two films cater to very different audiences, and, memes aside, "Oppenheimer" provided a
welcome alternative for those who weren't in the mood for all that pink.
It's a well-known fact that Christopher Nolan movies attract an avid fanbase.
We're not saying all of his movies are classics, but the renowned Brit has a sensational track
record.
Since breaking through with his sophomore feature film "Memento," Nolan has been on
a quarter-of-a-century hot streak.
His style isn't for everyone, but there's no doubt that it's distinct, exciting, and
always leaves fans wanting more.
The continued popularity of his films means that a new Nolan movie is an event that his
fans won't want to miss.
Nolan's producing power was always going to help "Oppenheimer" achieve great heights all
on its own, but it certainly helped to have some A-list support along the way.
The movie features a host of Hollywood's top brass, with a well-known face popping up every
few scenes.
Leading the line is the ever-watchable Cillian Murphy.
The Irish actor is known for his stand-out performances in the likes of "28 Days Later,"
"Sunshine," and, more recently, the hit series "Peaky Blinders."
Murphy is also no stranger to Nolan's cinematic world: He played Scarecrow in "Batman Begins"
and Robert Fischer in "Inception."
However, "Oppenheimer" is his first leading role in a Nolan film, and Murphy doesn't disappoint.
Backing up Murphy's portrayal of Oppenheimer is a smorgasbord of recognizable faces.
Emily Blunt features opposite Murphy as Kitty, Oppenheimer's wife.
Florence Pugh also shows up in the role of Oppenheimer's girlfriend and then mistress,
Jean Tatlock.
The film also includes Robert Downey Jr. as political antagonist Lewis Strauss, in one
of his first major film roles since leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Matt Damon plays the key role of military liaison Leslie Groves, and Kenneth Branagh
shows up for a few scenes as Danish physicist Niels Bohr.
And the list goes on and on from there.
Marketing for "Oppenheimer" was another factor that helped bring the crowds in droves.
The movie's striking visuals filtered through to the film's promotional material.
The captivating image of the title character in front of his horrifying creation was one
of the most memorable images around in the weeks leading up to the release date.
The trailers helped, too.
Each clip shifted between a dramatic narrative featuring many of the film's well-known actors
and close-up sequences of explosions and billowing fireballs.
The disconcerting compilation said it all without really saying anything.
Added to the alluring confusion of the trailers were countless other questions.
Why was this Nolan's first R-rated film in over two decades?
Why did he choose a biopic?
Why is it so long?
What cinematic trickery would the director unleash in the movie?
The result of months of this kind of advertising was that it created a frenzy of anticipation
and curiosity.
Fans knew they had a solid idea of what was to come, and yet, they had no idea what the
experience would be like in real time.
Like it or not, 2023 has been the year of so-called artificial intelligence.
From real-life programs like ChatGPT to the fanciful sci-fi concepts in shows like Apple
TV+'s "Foundation," AI is in the spotlight — and it even finds a voice in "Oppenheimer,"
though an indirect one.
According to director Christopher Nolan himself, "Oppenheimer" is a cautionary tale for those
engaged in pioneering modern technological concepts.
Speaking to the press in Paris, the director connected modern AI to the first atomic tests,
saying,
"Artificial intelligence researchers refer to the present moment as an 'Oppenheimer moment.'"
A bit later in the interview, he added that those working on AI now can draw important
lessons regarding their ethical responsibility from Oppenheimer's story.
From there, he clarified that there isn't a direct takeaway being taught here, saying,
"But I don't think it offers any easy answers.
It is a cautionary tale.
It shows the dangers."
When a director tells the world that their film is a terrifying cautionary tale on an
apocalyptic scale, you can bet your bottom dollar it's going to draw a crowd.
You can also bet Nolan's words, in the context of the film's disturbingly open-ended finale,
will continue to ring in viewers' ears as they process the emotionally traumatizing
three-hour ordeal.
The development of the atomic bomb has a direct through-line to everyday life in 2023, and
this isn't even hypothetical.
We still live and breathe in a nuclear age.
Since the 1940s, nuclear arsenals have proliferated across the globe and regularly factor into
public policy-making.
The war in Ukraine has stoked fresh fears about nuclear weapons being used again, and
panic seemingly spreads faster in this day and age — the 24-hour news cycle plays a
big part, and so-called "nuclear anxiety" is highest among those who spend more time
on social media, a recent study has shown.
The fact that there is such a direct connection between the subject matter of "Oppenheimer"
and life as we know it is a clear draw for many viewers.
Even Nolan referred to the film as "kind of a horror movie" filled with impossible ethical
dilemmas.
Most millennials and all Gen Zers don't have any memories of what it was like to live in
the Cold War, let alone the horrifying final days of the Second World War.
The chance to know more about the man that kickstarted the nuclear age was an easy selling
point.
"Barbie" may have beaten "Oppenheimer" in the sheer volume of tickets sold, but Nolan's
film triumphed on the biggest of the big screens.
According to Deadline, "Oppenheimer" raked in $35 million on its opening weekend via
a select 740 IMAX screens around the world.
That's 20% of the film's opening weekend box office total — a record ratio to date.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond addressed the incredible results, telling Deadline,
"'Oppenheimer' is an undeniable demonstration of a paradigm shift in moviegoing, with IMAX
taking a commanding share of global box office as audiences show a clear preference for experiences
that transcend the ordinary in cinema."
Nolan added,
"IMAX, for me, is a portal into a level of immersion that you can't get from other formats."
This pursuit of a bigger and better cinematic setting doesn't just translate to a greater
experience, it also directly impacts the numbers.
IMAX is more expensive on a per-ticket basis, which means the same number of seats will
lead to a greater opening weekend financial total.
In other words, "Oppenheimer" didn't have to attract as many viewers to achieve the
same level of success, since one in five members of its audience paid a premium for a seat.
In the case of "Oppenheimer," the IMAX factor goes beyond the price of tickets.
It also has to do with the desire to see some eye-popping visuals complete with seat-shaking
sound effects.
The attraction here is obvious.
The film's magnificent visual set pieces — the Trinity Test in particular — were major
draws from the first day marketing started.
The fact that the movie features a true explosion instead of a CGI one also caught the attention
of many avid moviegoers, as did the fact that it was filmed, and played in select locations,
on a 70-millimeter large-format film.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond also dug into the reason that pushed many viewers to choose IMAX over
traditional theater viewing, telling Deadline,
"As he has done throughout his career, Christopher Nolan pushed the boundaries of IMAX technology
to deliver unforgettable storytelling with 'Oppenheimer' and audiences are responding
in numbers we've not seen in our 50-year history."
Nolan's willingness to play the part of the pioneer and push the limits of even the best
cinematic technology was a major selling point of the experience.
The man already has a track record of powerful visual elements, from the mind-bending mental
landscapes of "Inception" to the time-warping space adventures of "Interstellar."
While "Oppenheimer" didn't head into the scientifically unknown, its atomic setting provided ample
fodder for some of the greatest shots in the history of cinema — and Nolan didn't disappoint.
The entertainment world has had a superhero overload problem for a while now, and Barbenheimer's
opening weekend was a damning recognition of that fact.
The world was buzzing with excitement for an upcoming pair of films featuring precisely
zero superheroes.
One was a childhood toy adaptation, and the other was a biopic about a scientist.
What does that mean going forward?
There has been a consistent drop off when it comes to interest in Marvel and DC films
as of late.
The MCU movie "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" opened to $106 million domestically and failed
to pass the half-billion mark in total, a definite disappointment for a Marvel picture.
"Ouch."
Meanwhile, DC's standalone feature "The Flash" only hit $55 million on its domestic opening
weekend and was considered a dismal failure.
And don't forget, all of this is graded on a curve; superhero movies have been in a steady
state of decline in recent months.
In comparison, "Oppenheimer" handily beat the opening weekend of "The Flash" and was
quickly catching up to "Quantumania" before the bell tolled midnight on Monday morning.
The box office success of Nolan's latest offering shows that audiences are still there, and
they just might be starting to move on from superhero movies.