Oppenheimer has risen above yet another superhero blockbuster, claiming its position as the third highest-grossing movie of the year. Christopher Nolan’s latest cinematic masterpiece, delving into the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (portrayed by Cillian Murphy), the brilliant theoretical physicist who orchestrated the development of the atomic bomb amidst profound political and personal challenges, continues to defy expectations. Despite being an R-rated, three-hour historical biopic, Oppenheimer’s performance at the box office has been nothing short of remarkable since its theatrical debut on July 21, the same day as Barbie.
Over a month since its release, Oppenheimer has achieved another significant milestone in its box office journey. According to Box Office Mojo, Oppenheimer has outpaced Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to claim the third-highest grossing spot in the 2023 worldwide box office rankings. As of the latest update, Oppenheimer has amassed a staggering $854,078,950 globally, surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stands at $845,536,306. While Oppenheimer still trails behind Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, both of which have crossed the $1.3 billion mark.
Contextualizing Oppenheimer’s Box Office Triumph
The box office triumph of Oppenheimer becomes even more remarkable when one considers its R-rated classification, naturally limiting its potential audience compared to Marvel’s PG-13 superhero blockbusters aimed at a broader demographic. Oppenheimer’s ascent to the third-place position involved surpassing several superhero movies, including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Flash, the latter of which faced disappointing box office results.
In terms of the highest-grossing R-rated films in history, Oppenheimer recently overtook Deadpool 2, trailing only behind another comic book adaptation, Joker, which grossed over $1 billion in 2019. As Nolan’s latest cinematic triumph nears the conclusion of its extraordinary box office journey, it is poised to retain its second-place position in the R-rated category, trailing behind Joker. In terms of the 2023 box office, Oppenheimer secures its commendable third place, following Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The resounding success of Oppenheimer should not be underestimated.