This past weekend no doubt went 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). 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 Reynolds needs an Oscar, there I said it!), let’s leave all the plastic and fantastic behind for a sec to talk about Oppenheimer, which follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, 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,” the actor gushed.
“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?
Right now, the film is only available to watch in theaters. But if you want to subscribe to Nolan’s true directorial ~vision~, you shouldn’t go to any old theater. TL;DR: 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.
Personally, I’m still out here struggling with using my basic iPhone settings on a day-to-day basis, so my recommendation is that you can watch Oppenheimer at any movie theater, but it’s up to you! Regardless of what experience you choose, be sure to snag your tickets fast because this movie is selling out everywhere.
When will Oppenheimer be available to stream? Asking for a friend…
Because Oppenheimer is produced by Universal—which has a streaming partnership with Peacock—, we can expect it to stream there once it leaves theaters. In terms of timing, though, the earliest a theatrical release can possibly be available to stream is 45 days after it premieres in theaters, which would be right around Labor Day…and that’s assuming it leaves theaters early.
Typically, mega-hit movies like Oppenheimer hit streamers closer to 120 days, which means we could be looking at a mid-November release. But if you don’t mind shelling out a ~$20 rental fee, chances are the project will become available for digital rental closer to the 45-day mark on sites such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
Happy watching!
Assistant news editor
Gretty Garcia is the assistant news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things news, entertainment, and pop culture. Before joining Cosmo, Gretty was a social strategist for Mrs. Dow Jones and a features and special projects editor at Editorialist. She holds an MS from the Columbia Journalism School and studied art history at Harvard College.