‘Oppenheimer’ Could Open in Third Place, but It Might Not Matter

NOTE: This article is a republication- Source: IndieWire (by Tom Brueggemann).

With “The Flash” (Warner Bros. Discovery) taking in a promising $9.7 million in Thursday previews (hoping to reach $70 million) while “Elemental” (Disney) grossed only $2.4 million, this weekend is perhaps the summer’s most critical for two of the brands that define franchise filmmaking.

However compelling those results might be, we’re already distracted by the upcoming drama of July 21, opening date for both “Oppenheimer” (Universal) and “Barbie” (WBD) — and the battleground for ongoing IMAX screening of “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1” (Paramount), which opens the week prior. As box-office battles go, this one will be hard to beat in 2023.

It’s too soon for audience tracking, but not to gauge industry expectations. There is a chance that the top three for the weekend of July 21 may be “Reckoning” #1, “Barbie” #2, and “Oppenheimer” #3 — but that would also be a misleading index. Here’s why.

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