Christopher Nolan’s much-awaited biographical thriller, ‘Oppenheimer,’ is set to premiere in the Chinese mainland, sparking curiosity about its potential influence on a cinema market currently dominated by domestic productions. The film, which delves into the pivotal role of US physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Manhattan Project during World War II, has already garnered over 20 million yuan ($2.74 million) in presales, as reported by Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.
To date, ‘Oppenheimer’ has raked in $785 million worldwide, after being screened in more than 80 countries and regions, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of the year. Adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, the film features a star-studded cast, including Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt as Katherine Kitty Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Gen. Leslie Groves, and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss.
The global media has been speculating whether ‘Oppenheimer’ could surpass the $1 billion mark at the box office. With its impending release in the Chinese mainland, many are keen to see if this milestone will be achieved.
Simultaneously, the summer movie season in the Chinese mainland has been a resounding success for domestic films and the Chinese film industry. Maoyan reports that China’s daily box office revenue exceeded 100 million yuan for 68 consecutive days as of Sunday, a positive indicator for the country’s film industry and the broader consumer market. Notably, the top six highest-grossing films this summer in the mainland were all domestic productions.
This raises intriguing questions: Will the release of ‘Oppenheimer’ alter the dynamics of a cinema market currently dominated by domestic works? Could it contribute to China’s total box office in 2023 reaching 60 billion yuan?
Nolan attended the ‘Oppenheimer’ premiere at Beijing’s Universal Studios on August 22, marking the first visit by a prominent Hollywood figure to the Chinese mainland, Hollywood’s largest overseas market, since the pandemic. The event drew a large crowd of enthusiastic moviegoers, while others who couldn’t attend in person took to social media to express their excitement about Nolan’s presence and their anticipation for ‘Oppenheimer.’
The recent commencement of Japan’s dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has heightened public interest and concern about nuclear issues, further fueling anticipation for the film. Consequently, ‘Oppenheimer’ has maintained its position at the top of the “must-watch” list on Maoyan.
Although the Japanese government or other authorities have not officially banned ‘Oppenheimer,’ the release date in Japan remains unconfirmed.
Besides the success of ‘Oppenheimer,’ the US fantasy film ‘Barbie’ also enjoyed widespread popularity this summer. Internet memes and mashups featuring Barbie’s pink wonderland juxtaposed with nuclear mushroom clouds went viral and received endorsement from the official Twitter account for the Barbie movie.
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