“Oppenheimer” is one of the most crucial movies, not only for the future of entertainment and biopics, but it also emerged as a critical film for Nolan himself. It wasn’t just required to be a great movie; being a Nolan film, it always had to meet high standards. After the setback of “Tenet,” it needed to be economically successful.
However, “Oppenheimer” not only exceeded financial expectations but also became the third most successful movie in terms of box office. Amidst all this success, Nolan expressed his gratitude to the fans and the response for the “gold standard” of film, “Oppenheimer.”
“One of the things that received a very visible response was the theatrical presentation, the IMAX presentation in particular, using film and film prints that went out into the world. Those screens, in particular, broke the all-time record in China with the print we had there. As of last weekend, we became the third highest-grossing IMAX film in America after Star Wars and Avatar. I mean, for a film about J. Robert Oppenheimer, it was extraordinary.”
Now, as “Oppenheimer” becomes a signature film in Nolan’s illustrious career, like every filmmaker, he must move on. However, history suggests that Nolan has never invested his mind in a film with a lighter tone. But that could soon change.
After three years invested in making the film, in a recent interview, Nolan plans to move on from the subject matter.
“I definitely – part of me wants to leave the story behind […] The subject matter is very dark. It’s nihilistic. And, yeah, there’s part of me that’s quite keen to move on and maybe do something not quite as bleak.”
Also, “Oppenheimer” just crossed the $950M mark, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year. It is also knocking on the door of “Joker” as the second-highest-grossing R-rated film ever.