The phenomenon known as "Barbenheimer" will no doubt go down in the history books as one of the most notable opening stretches for movie lovers. I mean, the combo of Greta Gerwig’s live-action Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has not only dominated the cultural landscape, but it’s quite literally gone on to break records IRL.
Per Deadline, Barbenheimer collectively grossed more than $511 million worldwide (with $235.5 million of that being domestic) in its opening weekend. According to the outlet, never before in the history of Hollywood movies have two films "opened to $100 million (Barbie) and $50 million (Oppenheimer) at the domestic box office." So, yeah, it’s A Big Deal.
And while we could stay in Barbie World indefinitely (Ryan Gosling needs an Oscar!), let’s leave all the plastic and fantastic behind for a sec to talk about Oppenheimer, which follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped create the atomic bomb. Nolan’s project not only delves into both Oppenheimer’s personal and professional life, but it has one of *the* most stacked casts of A-list talent, including lead actor Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Rami Malek, and Robert Downey Jr.
Like we said...S-T-A-C-K-E-D.
When speaking with The Playlist prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Cillian opened up about what it was like working with Christopher Nolan and the reason why he deems the film to be a success: "I’ve said this before, I think he’s the perfect director. Because he writes his material, he’s incredibly strong visually. There’s nobody who’s presenting movies the way Chris does in that IMAX format and in that immersive way that he presents films."
"And he’s extraordinary with actors. He is amazing with actors. And I think the reason that his films succeed even though they work with such a massive canvas, is because the performances are so fantastic. And he allows you freedom, he allows you space to find the character, to find the work. And the scenes never, ever, ever feel rushed. The most important thing on a set with Chris is the performances. I know his films are so visually stunning and there are these amazing spectacles in there, but they always come secondary to the performances," he added.
Convinced? Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Oppenheimer.
How can I watch Oppenheimer?
Unfortunately, even though Oppenheimer was created with IMAX 70 mm theaters in mind, which are cool and unique because they provide the ideal aspect ratio and sound quality for viewers, the movie is no longer playing widely in theaters. They can't keep it there forever, obviously!
But because the project is part of the ~awards race~ this season, it might end up back in your local theater. Sometimes, studios will do that when they want awards voters to be able to see them on the big screen. So check your local listings just in case!
However, since Oppenheimer was produced by Universal, which has a streaming partnership with Peacock, you can actually check it out on the streamer. The film became available to watch on February 16, 2024, so definitely make sure to watch it before the Oscars.
If you don't have a Peacock subscription, you can always rent Oppenheimer for $5.99 and buy it for $19.99 on your favorite movie rental website, like Amazon. Plus, you can even buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray if you're looking to expand your physical media collection.
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Happy watching!