Two of Hollywood’s most-anticipated cinematic masterpieces have been priming for battle as North America’s limited IMAX screens await to be bestowed by their riveting premieres. On one hand, there’s Christopher Nolan’s historical tour de force, Oppenheimer, and on the other side of the competition we have Tom Cruise’s action tentpole, Mission: Impossible 7. But the question of the hour is, which of the two blockbusters would wield the scepter of success by attaining longevity at the premium format theatres?
Robert Downey Jr., however, who stars opposite Cillian Murphy in the forthcoming war drama, couldn’t be more nonchalant about the ‘who beats whom’ situation.
The Oppenheimer v. MI 7 War Doesn’t Trouble Robert Downey Jr.
When the Mission: Impossible sequel and war biopic butted heads over IMAX screens, fans broke into a frenzy of chaos as Oppenheimer nuked Tom Cruise‘s Dead Reckoning Part One and landed IMAX exclusivity for three whole weeks.
But while this arrangement obviously ruffled the 61-year-old actor’s feathers, the team on the other side seems to be perfectly unfazed, or at least Robert Downey Jr. does. Granted, his film won the battle, but that doesn’t mean they emerged victorious in the war (in terms of overall performance), and yet, the veteran actor is blithe at large regarding the whole Imax fight.
When he recently sat down with the NY Times for an interview, the former Marvel star was asked whether he’s spoken with Cruise about the ongoing dispute over the theatrical run of their respective projects. And well, RDJ doesn’t seem to be worried enough to have a tête-à-tête with the Top Gun star about any of it.
“Nah. Like I said, it’s Thunderdome out there. Everybody’s trying to do what they can. There’s a scramble going on, and what a glory to behold.”
So that’s what it’s like, being cool as a cucumber.
The IMAX Rivalry – Tom Cruise Surrenders to Christopher Nolan
So far, the scale seems to be weighing in favor of Christopher Nolan as Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 will have to yield the IMAX showtimes to Oppenheimer after just one week of its premiere. With only 401 screens in the entirety of North America, there was naturally going to be a dispute over who trumps whom, but it looks like the Gods of Fate sided with Nolan on this one, with how effortlessly he locked three weeks of IMAX screening for his movie.
Meanwhile, there is a solid possibility for Cruise’s Mission: Impossible venture to resume its run at IMAX theatres once Oppenheimer has had its fill, but that would be roughly 5-6 weeks after the former’s premiere, which again, is a gamble in itself. Who knows though, maybe it might just end up working out for Cruise after all is said and done.
Source: The New York Times
