Oppenheimer Returns To IMAX 70mm As It Looks To Further Big Box Office Success Amid Awards Season

Topline Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” returned to IMAX 70mm Friday in 13 theaters around the country, a limited event announced by IMAX last month that has gained attention from fans on social media as the award winning movie looks to further capitalize on multiple box office achievements it has secured during its near six month stay in theaters.

Cillian Murphy, left, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture, ... [+] drama for "Oppenheimer", and Robert Downey Jr., winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in any motion picture for "Oppenheimer", pose in the press room at the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan.

7, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Key Facts The movie’s return to IMAX 70mm—a format that increases image resolution tenfold from standard projection formats—paired with a strong awards season run puts “Oppenheimer” in a position to bolster its box office performance this weekend and in the leadup to the Oscars on March 10.

The movie was released in July and has grossed more than $954 million worldwide, dwarfing its $100 million production budget and becoming one of the highest grossing rated R movies of all time. “Oppenheimer” is the highest grossing movie ever to not become No. 1 in the box office—a recognition made possible by the box office domination produced by “Barbie,” the highest grossing movie of 2023 that raked in $1.4 billion worldwide.

Nolan’s biographical epic ranks No. 6 in lifetime domestic gross for all rated R movies, according to IMDb, sitting less than $3 million behind Andrés Muschietti’s horror film “It,” which could very well be overtaken by “Oppenheimer” by the end of its run in theaters. “Oppenheimer” is the second highest grossing R rated movie of all time worldwide, ranking more than $500 million, behind Todd Phillips’ “Joker” at the No.

1 spot. Surprising Fact IMAX has just 30 film projectors capable of providing the IMAX 70mm format, according to Variety , which reported in August that fans were crossing state lines to watch “Oppenheimer” in the format. IMAX 70mm screenings of “Oppenheimer” were also made special by their limited availability in addition to the format’s premium depth and clarity.

All of the seven states showing “Oppenheimer” in the format this month only have one theater capable of doing so beside California, which has three eligible screens in and around Los Angeles County. Big Number $326 million. That’s how much “Oppenheimer” generated at the domestic box office last year, according to IMDb, topping commercial performances from movies like “The Little Mermaid,” “Avatar: The Way Of Water” and “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” What To Watch For Oscar nominations will be announced Jan.

23 less than two months prior to the award show. Key Background “Oppenheimer” is about the creation of the atomic bomb and its creator, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is played by Cillian Murphy. The movie, which also features actors like Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon, snagged five awards at the Golden Globes on Sunday, including the awards for best drama, best director and best male actor.

Outside of its acting and directorial firepower, the movie’s box office success was boosted by the “ Barbenheimer ” trend that took over theaters and social media in the summer, when moviegoers encouraged one another to watch “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” as an offbeat double feature. Further Reading Oppenheimer Shines At Golden Globes—Gaining Momentum Ahead Of Oscars Season (Forbes) ‘Oppenheimer’ Will Hit Japanese Movie Theaters Next Year—Here’s Why That’s A Big Deal (Forbes).