Ahead of the fall movie season set to bring audiences big horror movies and award-worthy films, we have to talk about how big of a surprise Oppenheimer was for the 2023 summer box office. In a major twist, Christopher Nolan’s three-hour biopic about the father of the atomic bomb has made over $900 million worldwide, becoming the third biggest hit of the year right now, behind Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s billion dollar+ hauls. Its success is blowing away beloved filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve and Paul Thomas Anderson, and those two recently talked about it.
Given Oppenheimer's success, one would think the historical figure was a Marvel superhero or something. How incredible is it that a non-franchise film beat out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake, and even bested Tom Cruise’s stunt-heavy Mission: Impossible film? It’s a rather wild turn of events, and Dune filmmaker Villeneuve recently shared these words after calling the movie “a masterpiece”:
Where [Oppenheimer] is right now has blown the roof off of my projection. It’s a three-hour movie about people talking about nuclear physics. … There’s this notion that movies, in some people’s minds, became content instead of an art form. I hate that word, ‘content.’ That movies like ‘Oppenheimer’ are released on the big screen and become an event brings back a spotlight on the idea that it’s a tremendous art form that needs to be experienced in theaters.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer success really surprised Villeneuve, who told AP News he predicted it might be a hit, but never would have guessed all the wild stats the movie earned. For example, the movie is now the highest-grossing biopic of all time, along with being Nolan’s third highest-grossing movie yet, behind the two Dark Knight sequels. Villeneuve is gearing up for his sci-fi sequel to 2021’s Dune to be among the upcoming 2024 movies.
There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson also weighed in on the monumental box office smash. In his words:
When a filmmaker as strong as Chris is pointing a finger at you and telling you where to go…you listen…and audiences have been rewarded for it. I know some film buffs who drove from El Paso to Dallas to see the film properly. That’s about 18 hours round trip. I don’t think there’s anyone who could disagree - seeing ‘Oppenheimer’ on film is superior in every single way. Not to mention, people are tired of asking, ‘Why would I go to a movie theater to watch TV?’ Good question...you don’t have to anymore.
Anderson commented on the huge success of Oppenheimer, very much aided by IMAX and IMAX 70mm screenings, (which earned an extended run due to demand), as “nature’s way of healing.” With big Hollywood movies existing on streaming at home more than ever, Oppenheimer’s numbers certainly signal a huge demand for theatrical releases for original films that are shot on film and have a distinct vision like Nolan’s. It goes to show the streaming era doesn’t necessarily mean there’s not a bright future for filmmakers like Villeneuve and Anderson.
Will Nolan’s Oppenheimer perhaps inspire these filmmakers, and more like them, to bring their movies to original works to big screens? Time will tell how the biopic affects the film industry moving forward, but the success is a beacon of hope for dramas and director-driven films of which Villeneuve and Anderson are taking note.
