Blockbusters Going Up Against Nolan Films Make On Average 53% of the His Box Office Totals

Oppenheimer is already being handed faultless reviews, but it faces stiff competition in the box office from Warner Bros’ latest release, Barbie. With that in mind, the folks at Basketball Insiders are combing through Nolan’s filmography to see how his films have fared against other releases around the same time, and what we can expect from this latest movie match-up.

Highlights from the data:

Blockbusters Going Up Against Nolan Films Make On Average 53% of the His Box Office Totals
Mamma Mia only made 61% of The Dark Knight’s box office revenue back in 2008
Dunkirk swept aside Girls Night, and Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets at the box office, with their combined grosses making only 69% of Dunkirk's total

Full story here: https://www.basketballinsiders.com/news/christopher-nolans-previous-box-office-rivalries/

The Dark Knight vs Mamma Mia (2008)

The Dark Knight ultimately came out on top joining the billion dollar club at $1.06 billion, whilst Mamma Mia earned a respectable $609.8 million. Nolan won this battle by around $400 million, just 61% of what Nolan’s Batman sequel earnt.

Interstellar vs. Big Hero 6 (2014)

This was no doubt Nolan’s toughest battle to date as he narrowly edged out Big Hero 6. Interstellar made $701.7 million, whilst Disney’s robotic superhero film followed closely behind with $657.8 million.

Dunkirk vs. Girls Night & Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets (2017)

Nolan’s harrowing heart-pounding war-time epic, which tells of Britain’s mass evacuation from Dunkirk beach in 1940, blew its rivals out the water after cinemas goers flocked to the big screen to earn it $527 million at the box office.

Valerian managed just $226 million which is only 42% of what Dunkirk made at the box office, whilst Girls Night came in last with $140.9 million. Both films’ box office combined could still only equate to 69% of what Nolan's Dunkirk made.

Commentary

Lee Astley, Head of News for Basketball Insiders summarised the box office results:

“Given Christopher Nolan’s films have grossed $5 billion worldwide, it is no surprise to see his box office rivals defeated down the years.

“His unconventional narratives, insistence on using large-format film photography and ability to create a sense of scale whilst using next-to-no special effects make him one of the 21st century’s greatest directors.

“Nevertheless, Nolan goes toe-to-toe with Barbie this week – a film that represents what many cinephiles loathe about Hollywood

“The glossy, candy-coated toy-inspired flick will obviously draw a different audience to Oppenheimer, but they are both being backed to draw some of the largest levels of cinema goers seen since before the pandemic.

“Nolan’s film is already being slated for a host of awards, but Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken means its appeal will likely reach more audiences worldwide, with Warner Bros expecting $75 million in domestic weekend ticket sales compared with Oppenheimer’s $50 million”