Oppenheimer takes the crown as the highest-grossing biopic of all time, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody

Christopher Nolan's magnum opus Oppenheimer recently achieved yet another feat as it became the highest-grossing biopic ever, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody, which previously held the title, as per Box Office Report. The now nine-week-old film has earned $912.7 million globally as of this writing.

Bohemian Rhapsody, on the other hand, collected a total of $910.8 million in 2018, holding the record for a string of five long years until the July 2023 worldwide release of Oppenheimer.

Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody focused on the life of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the British rock band Queen. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer chronicled the controversies surrounding the personal and public life of physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer. The film especially shed light on his work on the Manhattan Project and his involvement in making the first atomic bomb.

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Oppenheimer collects $912.7 million, creates new record as world's highest-grossing biopic of all time

While the production budget of the recent biopic was a whopping $100 million, as per Variety, the global blockbuster has earned a whopping $912.7 million as of September 17, 2023. It has collected $318 million from the domestic North American market and an impressive $594 million globally. With Oppenheimer becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time, the film has achieved yet another milestone.

The hit film has been on a record-breaking streak since its release. The epic biographical drama became the second highest-grossing R-rated film ever. It now ranks after Joker (2019) which became the first R-rated movie to gross more than $1 billion worldwide as it earned $1.066 at the box office, as per Collider. In doing so, the 2023 epic drama became the first R-rated non-superhero science-fiction film to achieve this feat.

With Cillian Murphy essaying the titular role, the film was set against the backdrop of World War II. The title also featured an ensemble cast including Robert Downy Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and Rami Malek.

It is pertinent to mention that actor Rami Malek, who played the lead role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, also appeared in Oppenheimer as Met Lab physicist David L. Hill.

The Christopher Nolan directorial is also the highest-grossing World War II film since Dunkirk, which earned $527 million globally. This means Nolan broke his own record as he also helmed the 2017 film, which was based on the Dunkirk Evacuation during the Battle of France. Cillian Murphy also featured in the 2017 war drama.

Besides this, the film is also the third highest-grossing film of 2023. It ranks third after Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Michael Jelenic's The Super Mario Bros.

One of the factors behind the drama's multiple achievements is that it was shot on IMAX cameras. The IMAX 70mm film is also among the top five highest-grossing IMAX releases of all time.