Oppenheimer Box Office (US): Christopher Nolan’s Dramatic Thriller Was Set To Become The Highest-Grossing Film Surpassing Sing’s Box Office Collection But Missed The Mark (Photo Credit: IMDb)
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Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer was released worldwide four weeks ago with much fanfare. The critically acclaimed dramatic thriller had a phenomenally successful run at the box office and it was poised to surpass 2016’s Sing to become the highest-grossing domestic movie of all time.
However, Cillian Murphy starrer failed to reach the top spot at the box office but it has achieved a new record milestone in US theatrical history. Despite competing with Barbie, the film has now hit the target by grossing over $270 million in four weeks of release at the US box office.
Upon release, Sing initially thrived commercially but encountered challenges in theatres. Competing against Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it couldn’t clinch the top spot due to its $534.9 million domestic earnings. Later, Hidden Figures thwarted its resurgence with the story of moon landing mathematicians. Despite this, Sing still soared, grossing $634.2 million globally, a mark that was expected to be exceeded by Oppenheimer, as per Collider report.
To secure the “never hit number one” title globally, Oppenheimer must earn more than $902,548,476 to surpass China’s limited-released film, The Battle at Lake Changjin. The list also features Interstellar, another Christopher Nolan directorial, which opened second against Big Hero 6 in 2014, yet eventually outperformed it by $20 million worldwide.
With its strong reception in premium large format theatres, Oppenheimer is poised to maintain its revenue momentum as IMAX screenings consistently sell out in the coming weeks. The film’s unforeseen impact on the public’s imagination is a pleasant surprise for both Nolan and Universal. However, for a film enthusiast like Nolan, the gratification lies in reaching a broad audience, rendering box office standings less significant.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
