Oppenheimer gets a streaming release date in February – and it’s a huge win for Peacock users

In the midst of dominating the 2024 awards season, Oppenheimer has reached an official streaming release date – and, to top it all off for Peacock, it will be a movie exclusive to the streaming minnow.

Christopher Nolan’s three-hour biopic, which tells the story of theoretical physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer, the so-called father of the atomic bomb, will make its formal bow on Friday, February 16. The Universal-distributed film has been available to rent or buy since November 2023, but this is the first time it has been part of a streaming service’s film catalog.

Oppenheimer, which earned $954 million worldwide during its theatrical run, however, hasn’t found a home on any of the world’s top streaming services, like Netflix or Max. Instead, the film starring Cillian Murphy will debut on Peacock, perhaps the least popular streaming platform in the US.

Unfortunately for British and Australian viewers, they will have to make do with renting or buying Oppenheimer for a while yet. According to Digital spyUK audiences will have to wait until April 12 to stream it via Sky/NOW TV, while an Australian launch date has yet to be confirmed.

Oppenheimer won’t be the only Nolan-directed film to hit Peacock in February. Per The Hollywood Reporterthe British filmmaker’s latest cinematic venture will be joined by six of his other films Memento, Dunkirk, Commencementand Nolan’s three Batman films, aka The Dark Knight trilogy, all of which will be released on Peacock on Thursday, February 1. Find out what we think of each Nolan film so far in our best piece on Christopher Nolan films.

A huge streaming win

Oppenheimer‘s exclusive streaming launch on Peacock shouldn’t be a huge shock. The streamer is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of Universal Pictures, so it makes sense that the former would want one of the best movies of 2023 to debut only on its service.

Still, OppenheimerThe upcoming release on the platform is a huge coup for Peacock. For starters, Nolan’s critically acclaimed film is – at the time of writing – winning awards left, right and centre. During the 2024 Golden Globes on January 7 Oppenheimer took home five awards, before adding another eight last night (January 14) at the 2024 Critics’ Choice Awards. The film is also expected to receive numerous nominations for the 2024 BAFTAs and Oscars, and it seems likely that he will triumph in multiple categories in bo.

But even without the current and possible future prize wins, Oppenheimer is the kind of prestige film that Peacock is crying out for. It’s no secret that NBCUniversal’s streaming service is far behind its competitors, with Netflix, Max, Disney Plus and Prime Video being the most popular platforms worldwide.

Other streamers, including Hulu, Apple TV Plus, and Paramount Plus, don’t have the sizable user base that the aforementioned quartet does. However, they are still blessed with top-tier TV shows and award-winning movies that can entice curious viewers, even if it’s a one-month trial to see what all the fuss is about.

Peacock can’t claim to be in the same boat. Sure, the streamer has some big hitters in its library, such as The Super Mario. Bros movie, M3GAN, Five nights at Freddy’seven Twisted metal. Aside from Mario’s latest big-screen adventure, which will gross more than $1 billion at the box office in 2023, none of them can match the star power nor the critical and commercial success that Oppenheimer possess.

So Nolan’s latest film will be in a class of its own when it appears on Peacock. It’ll also hit the streamer just over a month before the 2024 Oscars, meaning American audiences can watch it and likely add to the growing buzz (not that Oppenheimer needs it) ahead of the glitziest entertainment awards show of the year. All told, Oppenheimer is a huge coup for Peacock – and it’s the hugely successful film that could finally put the small fry service on the streaming map.

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