The Barbenheimer opening weekend is full of surprises: Two strong films dominate the box office worldwide. While Margot Robbie‘S Barbie sets own milestones, Cillian Murphy‘S Oppenheimer not far behind, the film opened for the year as the second best domestic opening credits by a film and its worldwide box office earnings are equally impressive. The Christopher nolan The film grossed $174 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
The film performed better than the original projections and is backed by rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The Barbenheimer phenomenon also contributed to the smashing success of both films, as fans booked the double film in advance and celebrated it in their own way. Although the films are completely opposite in appearance, plot and genre, nothing can stop fans from enjoying the funny, cheesy world of Barbie and crowning it with Oppenheimer’s intense drama.
What is Oppenheimer about?
Nolan has long been interested in the life and work of the father of the atomic bomb and mentioned him in passing in his previous project. While he penned the screenplay in a rare first-person perspective, it’s based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy by J. Robert Oppenheimerwritten by Kai Bird And Martin J Sherwin. The film spans several decades and explores the life and work of the renowned scientist and those around him who were invested in the Manhattan Project.
Image via Universal PicturesAs is well known, the director wanted to put the audience in a room with the scientists and team behind the Trinity test, who knew full well that they were taking the risk of destroying the world while pushing the nuclear test button, and did it anyway. The IMAX technology developed for the film aims to give the audience an intimate look into Oppenheimer’s inner thoughts to support the first-person point of view. Oppenheimer also famously didn’t use CGI to capture the nuclear explosion. With a stellar cast and geniuses behind the camera, “Oppenheimer” is sure to become an awards season favorite and a massive box office hit.
The film also occupies 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 is the cast Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Jack Quaid and many more.
Oppenheimer is in cinemas now. You can watch Collider’s conversation with Murphy below: