$773,430,538.

$870,110,523.

$1,006,234,167.

These are the global box office earnings for three of director Christopher Nolan’s biggest movies — “Interstellar” (2014), “Inception” (2010) and “The Dark Knight” (2008), respectively — with “The Dark Knight” taking the spot for highest grossing film worldwide in 2008, according to IMDb and Box Office Mojo. Nolan’s next project, “Oppenheimer” (2023), is sure to be another hit.

Based on a true story, “Oppenheimer” tells the tale of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his work creating the atomic bomb with a team of scientists during World War II. 

“Oppenheimer” is slated to release on July 21, the same day as another highly anticipated film of the year: Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” People should watch “Oppenheimer” before “Barbie” since they can expect to see more of Christopher Nolan’s award-winning talent.

Viewers can also find value in the historical content as they submerge themselves in the early 1940s and learn  about a pivotal event of the past. Nolan is known for his attention to detail and intricate storytelling that makes him more than capable of creating an immersive experience, according to MovieWeb. 

“If I were to watch ‘Barbie,’ a comedy like that, I’d watch a TV show or something short,” sophomore Aaron Owens said. “But for a movie, something I want to see, a movie should be an experience, right? So to have an experience, I want to go see something dramatic, something cool, something awesome like ‘Oppenheimer.’”

Owens said he particularly looks forward to seeing Cillian Murphy portray the eponymous lead character as Murphy and Nolan have successfully worked together on previous films. Nolan has managed to craft an ensemble of other noteworthy actors, including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh.

There’s no denying though that “Barbie” also has a star-studded cast with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Some may argue they feel more inclined to watch “Barbie” first due to childhood nostalgia and other sentimental connections with the doll. Gerwig has also proved her own skill as a director with two other award-winning films.

Yet she is unmatched with Nolan’s experience and success as a director. Keeping in mind Nolan’s global box office earnings from earlier, Gerwig’s highest earning is $218,843,645 from her 2019 movie “Little Women,” according to IMDb. Her statistics are impressive but cannot keep up with Nolan.

“Any year there’s a Christopher Nolan movie is a really good year,” movie fanatic and science teacher Michael Tang said. “I think he’s the greatest working director right now that we have. I think he always makes films that are so engrossing and engaging and very thought-provoking. He’s always trying to push the boundary of blockbuster filmmaking.”

Viewers should opt for a ticket to see “Oppenheimer” and simply save “Barbie” for the end as a palate cleanser for all the great acting, fascinating drama and first-rate filmmaking they have just finished watching.