Christopher Nolan’s Previous Box Office Rivalries

Only the bravest of studios release their films around the same time as Christopher Nolan, who has written and directed some of the highest grossing motion pictures in history.

Although his most recent release – Tenet – wasn’t quite the film industry’s saving grace that it was billed to be post-Covid, Nolan is back on the big screen with an epic chronicling a pivotal moment in modern history.

Oppenheimer is released in cinemas this week, and details the human struggle of Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father’ of the atomic bomb, as he battles with the moral struggle of the huge cost of life his invention could bring upon the world.

Christopher Nolan’s grand war-time epic is already being handed faultless reviews, but it faces stiff competition in the box office from Warner Bros’ latest release, Barbie, which hits cinemas on the same day.

With that in mind, we 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.

Mama Mia Only Made 61% of The Dark Knight’s Box Office Revenue Back in 2008

On June 18th 2008, Nolan’s Batman sequel The Dark Knight, which is still heralded to this day as changing the scope of superhero films forever, went up against musical adaptation, Mamma Mia. 

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 Edged Out Big Hero 6 as the Disney Animation Made 93% of What Nolan’s Sci-Fi Epic Made

On November 7th 2014, Nolan’s ode to Stanley Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odessey, Interstellar, faced Disney’s heartfelt animation Big Hero 6.

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. 

It is worth noting Interstellar lost out domestically with $188 million made in the USA, compared to Big Hero 6’s  $222.5 million figure.

Dunkirk Sweeps Aside Girls Night and Valerian at the Box Office

No surprises here.

Dunkirk opened with both Girls Night and sci-fi film, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets in July 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.

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

The average box office for all four of Nolan’s rivals listed stands at $408.6 million.

In comparison, the five-time Academy Award nominee made $762.9 million on average while boasting one less film, meaning they only managed to generate 53% of Nolan’s box office average.

A representative for Basketball Insiders commented on the data; “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 Bors expecting $75 million in domestic weekend ticket sales compared with Oppenheimer’s $50 million”