Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is undoubtedly one of 2023’s biggest hits, being his highest-grossing film outside of his Batman films. In classic Nolan fashion, the film boasted an impressive ensemble led by Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon. In addition to being a big box office hit, Murphy and Downey Jr. won Oscars for their roles in the film.
The film’s success further catapulted Nolan’s position in the industry, arguably making him the best modern director of our time. It was recently reported that Nolan earned a whopping $100 million for the film. However, a new in-depth report of the film’s performance and profits has refuted that claim.
Christopher Nolan Reportedly Earned Less Than $100 Million for Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer became the third highest-grossing film of 2023 behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Barbie. It grossed $972 million against a budget of $100 million (via Box Office Mojo). In addition to that, it swept the Oscars, winning in seven categories including Best Picture, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.
Now, Deadline has put out a report about the film’s overall performance and expenses including streaming revenues. The report revealed that when it’s all said and done, Universal earned a net profit of $201.9 million, making it the fifth most profitable film of 2023. The outlet also ruled out the previous claim about how much Nolan earned from the film.
Nolan reportedly earned less than the reported $100 million paycheck, with Deadline calling that an “exaggerated” amount. While exact numbers are unknown, the director reportedly earned “somewhere lower than that.”. The film’s streaming revenue at Peacock was reportedly $170 million, with it coming to the service seven months after the film’s release.
The reported net profit of the film ($201.9 million) comes after considering the total expenses of the film ($520 million) and the total revenue ($721.9 million) given by Deadline from its theatrical and streaming release. Nolan’s next project will surely attract every studio after his glorious win with Oppenheimer.
Anne Hathaway Credits Christopher Nolan For Being an Angel Amid Hard Times
Anne Hathaway won her Oscar for her heart-wrenching performance as Fantine in Tom Hopper’s Les Misérables. However, there was a lot of toxicity around her leading up to and after her Oscar win, and according to her, producers refused to give her roles because of that situation.
In a Vanity Fair cover story interview, she praised Christopher Nolan for casting her in a big part in Interstellar. Hathaway stated that Nolan did not care about the toxicity online and instead gave her one of the most beautiful roles she has ever played in her career with Interstellar. She said,
“A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online,” Hathaway now told Vanity Fair. “I had an angel in Christopher Nolan, who did not care about that and gave me one of the most beautiful roles I’ve had in one of the best films that I’ve been a part of.”
Hathaway previously worked with Nolan on The Dark Knight Rises before Interstellar. As of 2024, the actress is gearing up for the release of her Amazon rom-com The Idea of You on May 2, where she stars opposite Nicholas Galitzine.
Fans can watch Nolan’s Oppenheimer on Peacock.
