Despite Margot Robbie’s Barbie Making $1.07B Box Office Smash, Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer Scores Rare Win in Legendary Theatre’s 97 Year History
Barbenheimer competition to a close and Margot Robbie’s Barbie outdid Oppenheimer at the box office by a large margin. As Barbie painted the town pink, crossing the $1 Billion mark, Oppenheimer is quite not there yet.
But the Christopher Nolan-directed biographical thriller has some other achievements under its belt. It has grossed over $600 million which is no small feat for a three-hour-long movie based on a historical event. It is a hit with critics as well. Although, the movie has become the first of its kind by setting a huge record at TCL Chinese Theatre.
Oppenheimer‘s Unique Milestone
The ultimate slice of infotainment, the American Prometheus adaptation has earned twice its budget and is now a certified hit. The movie is filmed in a unique format that can only be played in thirty theatres worldwide. This list includes the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre, located right on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Oppenheimer has become the highest-grossing film in the legendary theatre’s history. The film grossed over $2 million in just three weeks surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens which earned this amount in fifteen weeks.
The movie had an impressive performance in the IMAX theatres as well. Earning over $114.2 million from IMAX screenings alone. Becoming the eighth highest-grossing film in IMAX history.
Christopher Nolan used a Rare Format to Film Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan is very particular about his work. The Academy Award-nominated director filmed Oppenheimer in full frame IMAX 15 Perf 70 mm Film, which he has explained is integral to having a complete theatrical experience with a movie like Oppenheimer.
Nolan has worked with IMAX for most part of his career. He revealed in an interview that he has gradually been able to extend his movie timings based on how IMAX engineers their platters that are to be spun around in projectors.
He claims that Oppenheimer’s runtime is the extreme outermost limit a movie can go to with IMAX.
Read More: Christopher Nolan Was Forced to Change ‘Oppenheimer’ Script Because of One Actor
History of the TCL Chinese Theatre
The TCL Chinese Theatre is a culturally integral part of the entertainment industry. The first brick for the theatre was laid in 1927. The theatre is decked with extravagant architecture and themed decoration.
As the theatre has been around since the golden age of cinema, it holds great importance in celebrity culture and Hollywood. The theatre rode the high tide of technology as it is the largest IMAX auditorium in the world. It is famous for having nearly 200 handprints, footprints, and autographs on concrete in its forecourt.
It is remarkable that a film like Oppenheimer, which is rooted in a historical event of extreme significance, left its mark on a place whose history is so integral to the growth of cinema.
Source: Collider
