Is ‘Oppenheimer’ Available to Stream Now? When Will Christopher Nolan’s Historical Drama be Available on Peacock?
If you were the scientist who developed the most powerful weapon in the history of mankind, how would you feel? J. Robert Oppenheimer had incredibly complex feelings about his work, which are put on full display in “Oppenheimer,” the new historical drama from director Christopher Nolan that is showing preview screenings on Thursday, July 20 ahead of its official July 21 release date.
The movie follows Oppenheimer’s time as an employee of the United States government, heading up weapons research at the Los Alamos lab in New Mexico. Oppenheimer and his team have a single task: develop a nuclear weapon before the Nazis do. The end of the war will be in sight when that goal is achieved, but if the Germans cross the finish line first, it could mean the end of civilization.
“Oppenheimer” has opened to enthusiastic reviews from critics. The movie currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and reviewers have singled out Nolan’s directorial style, Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of the titular scientist and the film’s visual effects for special praise.
Watch a Trailer for ‘Oppenheimer’:
“Oppenheimer” is the kind of movie that hits hard, and if those types of films get to you, you’re probably hoping the movie will be available to stream from home. As of now, “Oppenheimer” remains a theatrical exclusive, and its stunning visuals are the kind of spectacle that deserves to be seen on the big screen anyhow.
Fortunately, since “Oppenheimer” is a Universal release, we know the film will be available to stream on Peacock once it leaves theaters. Unfortunately, Universal hasn’t put out too many prestige dramas lately, so using recent releases for clues as to how long the movie will be in theaters is a bit more difficult with “Oppenheimer.”
Many Universal releases have followed a relatively short path to streaming. “M3GAN,” “Cocaine Bear” and “Renfield” all became available to stream less than 60 days after they were initially released in theaters. One glaring exception is “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which will have been available in theaters/ on premium video-on-demand rental services for 120 days when it finally hits Peacock on Aug. 3.
“Oppenheimer” won’t have the broad appeal of “Mario,” and is unlikely to reach the $1.3 billion in revenues that film pulled in at the box office. Tonally, “Oppenheimer” has the most in common with “TÁR,” which garnered six Oscar nominations in 2023. That film didn’t arrive on Peacock until 112 days after its initial theatrical release.
As it stands now, our best guess is that “Oppenheimer” will stay in theaters for 60 days before heading to Peacock. That would fix its streaming debut as Tuesday, Sept. 19, though if the film captures audiences’ attention and refuses to let go, the film could see an extended trip through theaters.
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