Russell Crowe’s new WWII movie, Nuremberg, has quietly become a box office hit. After the Oscar winner had a busy 2024 schedule with movies like Land of Bad and Kraven the Hunter, the actor slowed down the following year with just one release, in which he starred in the historical thriller. It’s also his most chilling role yet, portraying Adolf Hitler’s second in command, Hermann Göring.
Nuremberg was released in the United States on November 7, 2025, but its box office impact was minimal, making roughly $15 million. However, according to Variety, the psychological thriller saw a different story overseas, where its strong performance has totaled over $31 million internationally, including $8 million coming from Italy. It’s worth mentioning that the film has yet to be released in Germany and France, which will likely boost the box office total.
The Crowe-led movie has accumulated $46 million globally. Since the budget was estimated at $7-10 million dollars, this sum easily makes it a box office success and a hidden gem for Sony Pictures Classics. Additionally, Nuremberg outperformed other Oscar-buzzing movies from the studio, such as The Smashing Machine ($21.1 million) and Bugonia ($41 million).
Crowe’s last few movies haven’t performed well commercially. The most infamous of the stack is Kraven the Hunter, which only made $62 million against a $110–130 million budget. Thus, Nuremberg would be his first major box office hit since The Pope’s Exorcist, which made $77 million globally. Still, most of his 2025 movies were smaller-scale releases and found success through streaming, with Land of Bad being a good example.
Some factors may contribute to Nuremberg’s box office success overseas. Firstly, given the movie’s setting in WWII, the subject matter is relevant in the European market. The thriller also benefited from strong word of mouth, but it’s a rare case where its critical reception improved over time.
When Nuremberg premiered at TIFF in September 2025, early reviews were leaning negative, with the Rotten Tomatoes score debuting in the 40s. However, closer to the release, the response to the movie became more positive, showcasing a rare trend where the Rotten Tomatoes score skyrocketed to its current 72%. Audiences’ reactions were even more favorable to the historical movie, as the Popcornmeter is at 95%.
Nuremberg reviews touched on the movie’s slow pacing, but much of the praise was directed to the star himself, Crowe. With a stellar cast that includes Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, and Colin Hanks, the Gladiator star had the standout performance due to his haunting portrayal of a high-level Nazi leader, raising the possibility of award consideration. He is on the BAFTAs longlist for Best Leading Actor.
Although Crowe is only in his early 60s, the star is not slowing down. While The Weight will premiere this year at Sundance, he has also completed filming for The Beast in Me, Bear Country, and Billion Dollar Spy.
Directed and written by James Vanderbilt, the historical movie follows Malek’s psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley, who must assess high-ranking Nazi officers like Hermann Göring to determine if they are fit to take the stand during the Nuremberg trials. The story is based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai.
Nuremberg is now available for rent and purchase digitally in the United States. There are no details yet on when it will be available for streaming.
- Release Date
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November 7, 2025
- Runtime
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148 minutes
- Director
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James Vanderbilt
- Writers
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James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai
- Producers
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István Major, Richard Saperstein, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Paul Neinstein