Let’s admit it, Christopher Nolan isn’t just a director but a brand in himself! Yes, he’s among those rare filmmakers whose name is enough to drive attention to the film. Almost all the credit goes to him, as apart from Robert Downey Jr, none of the Oppenheimer actors carry that kind of pull here. Unfortunately, Nolan’s Tenet didn’t arrive during the best of times for theatrical releases, and as a result, it failed to leave any impact commercially.
Nolan’s latest release has been carrying solid on-ground buzz in the last few weeks and has been in the news for the right reasons. The film is enjoying all the hype around it due to the makers promoting it to be a zero-CGI affair, and the other one is, of course, the man who is handling it from behind the camera.
In a surprising trend, the film saw an uproar in advance booking in the last few days (in national cinema chains) and it just proves the undercurrent it was carrying. This craze has put the biggie in a position to comfortably be the best Hollywood opener of 2023 at the Indian box office and possibly the first 100 crore club film for Nolan.
As mentioned above, the advance booking has been superb, reflecting in healthy occupancies all across the country. Especially the IMAX shows are running riot with almost full capacity at several locations today. Speaking about my own experience, the 8 am IMAX show was enjoying near full house occupancy.
Let’s talk about the positives of Oppenheimer – The brand Christopher Nolan has ensured that the film enjoys heavy ticket sales at least during the opening weekend (that too with blockbuster pricing), and in the first 3 days, it will reach near the mark of 50 crores. That’s half a job done!
As expected, the Cillian Murphy led thriller has opened to glowing reviews from all across the country and mind you, I am not just talking about critics but also ticket-paying audience. This favourable word-of-mouth would clearly help the film in sustaining the weekdays’ wrath and give those much-needed legs to be a box office rockstar.
Also, there’s a Bhagavad Gita connection shown in the film, which is expected to do well with the sentiments of Indians. It is already going viral on social media, and in the coming days, this momentum will help this Nolan’s directorial is attracting more footfall.
Coming to things that don’t work in favour – Even if you’re a fan of Nolan’s Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy or Interstellar, this film might serve you a different experience (not in a positive way). It’s complex; it takes a good time to settle, and that’s why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea! Your patience will be tested if you aren’t fond of films that run for 3 hours or more. It’s a niche kind of affair, and some basic research has to be done about Oppenheimer’s concept before watching it if you don’t want to get stuck in a confusing loop.
Another limiting factor is that this biographical thriller has been released on limited screens in India, and that restricts the box office potential. Of course, it’ll witness a rise in shows from Monday onwards if the weekend response is overwhelming, but that won’t take it too far, as Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani releases next Friday. The Karan Johar directorial will cause a huge dent in the screen count of Nolan’s biggie during the second week.
Oppenheimer Box Office Review: Final Verdict
On the whole, Oppenheimer will turn out to be a winner at the Indian box office and is set to emerge as Christopher Nolan’s biggest success by miles. With the help of a strong opening week, it is expected to end its lifetime run between 90 to 105 crores in India.
