A Netflix executive claims that Oppenheimer could have done just as well on Netflix as its theatrical release. The Best Picture winner received rave reviews and was widely considered the magnum opus of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. It was released on the same day as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in 2023’s infamous Barbenheimer event. While Barbie came out on top in that box office battle, Oppenheimer‘s gross was still nearly $1 billion. It brought in $975 million worldwide and was the third-highest-grossing movie of 2023.

Speaking with Puck, Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria now argues that Oppenheimer could have done just as well on Netflix. The interviewer asked a prompt question, “would Oppenheimer have been Oppenheimer had it aired on Netflix?” Bajaria argued that “yes,” explaining the streamer would have done “an amazing qualifying run” and many people would have watched. Check out Bajaria’s full quote below

Yes. We would have done an amazing qualifying run. So many people obviously would have watched it. It was a great movie. And I think it would have had that.

Following a disagreement, the executive elaborated that they “want to make great movies on Netflix” and that most movies do not necessitate theatrical treatment.

We’re going to totally disagree about this. And here’s the thing. There’s a lot of people who love going to the movies. I love going to the movies. It’s just, we want to make great movies on Netflix. This idea of, everything theatrical is bigger and lasting, you have to think about all those other movies except for the four or five we just talked about.

What This Would Have Meant For Oppenheimer

Nolan’s Films Are Known For Spectacle

Oppenheimer being a Netflix film would have enraged several audience members. From Inception and Dunkirk to The Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan’s movies are known as big-budget, spectacle-based movies. The director regularly shoots his films using IMAX cameras, thus designing the movies for the biggest and best screens possible. They fall into the category of “Everything theatrical is bigger and better,” making them less desirable to watch on the small screen en mᴀsse.

Bajaria’s implication that a theatrical release is overrated will have interesting ramifications for future Netflix films. Most notably, Netflix has the rights to Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movies, the first of which has been confirmed to have an IMAX release. The streamer has been known to give movies, such as Glᴀss Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, theatrical release before hitting Netflix, but these windows are typically limited. With the priorities outlined by her Oppenheimer statement, Bajaria and her Netflix team may not see the need for a huge theatrical focus for this and other films with brief theatrical runs.

Our Take On Bajaria’s Oppenheimer Statement

Watching At Home Is Not The Same

Anyone who has seen Oppenheimer in IMAX will immediately disagree with Bajaria. While movie experiences can fluctuate as they recover from the post-pandemic and Hollywood strikes, streaming is increasingly becoming a threat to the theater industry. This is not to say that all streaming films are bad or unworthy of praise, but the theatergoing experience is still unique from watching movies at home, and should not be dismissed. Plus, many factors led to Nolan’s movie becoming a mᴀssive blockbuster hit that couldn’t be duplicated if it had been released on Netflix, such as the Barbenheimer effect.

Source: Puck