Christopher Nolan and his film Oppenheimer once again became the topic of discussion among film fanatics after earning 13 nominations at the Academy Awards. Nolan himself received nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for the film. Reacting to his highest-ever number of Oscar nominations for a film, Nolan shared that the level of success attained by Oppenheimer was unimaginable.
Nolan is in competition with the legendary Martin Scorsese for the Best Director Award, as Scorsese was nominated for his film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Other nominees in the category include Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things, and Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest.
Oppenheimer Exceeds Christopher Nolan’s Expectations With Its 13 Oscar Nominations
Oppenheimer led the nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, earning thirteen nods in different categories. Christopher Nolan shared his first response to the nominations with The Hollywood Reporter, stating that he was surprised at the film’s level of recognition from the Academy. While Nolan and the whole Oppenheimer team were confident in its great historical story, Nolan did not anticipate such a high number of Oscar nods for a “summer film”. Nolan told THR:
“We’ve clearly caught a wave with the film and that’s something we’re very grateful for. We never imagined this level of success. But we did have faith that it was a great story. You know, certainly audiences going to it in the summer, I think it was the strength of the story itself, this great piece of American history that was driving things for us.”
The Tenet director also commented upon his nomination for the Best Director category. Nolan shared winning the prestigious award for directing would mean the world to him. Despite being one of the most skilled filmmakers in Hollywood, Nolan has yet to win an award for Best Direction at the Oscars. He previously received the nod for Dunkirk in 2018.
Nolan revealed that growing up watching the Academy Awards, he always regarded it as the highest form of recognition in a field he loved. The fact that the recognition came from the people working alongside him in the industry made it even more precious for the Insomnia director. However, many talented directors, including Martin Scorsese, stand between Nolan and his dream of winning the Best Director Award. Nolan shared about his best-directing nomination with THR:
“I grew up loving Hollywood movies. I grew up watching the Academy Awards as a kid, it’s always stood in my mind for the highest form of recognition in a field that I love, and it’s the recognition of people who work in the industry alongside you. So, yeah, it would mean the world to me.”
Nolan’s wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, congratulated the nominees and shared that the Oscar nods were “massively gratifying” to see. Thomas was particularly excited about Emily Blunt‘s first Oscar nomination and Ellen Mirojnick’s nomination for costume.
Also Read: Real Reason Behind Christopher Nolan’s Non-Linear Films Can Be Traced Back To Silent Film Era
Christopher Nolan Finds His Adapted Screenplay Nomination A Unique Thrill
Christopher Nolan received his third Oscar nomination for Best Writing, marking his first in the Adapted Screenplay category. Nolan described his recognition in the category as a unique thrill. Nolan lauded the source material, American Prometheus, which he referred to as an “incredible authoritative tome”. He also remembered the co-author of the book, Martin Sherwin, who passed away before he could finish the script of the film. Nolan shared:
“For me, to be recognized for the screenplay adaptation is a very unique thrill. The book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin was an incredible authoritative tome. It’s 700 pages of intensely researched academic history and Martin Sherwin in particular, he worked on it for 25 years, and he passed on before I could share the script. I hadn’t quite finished the script when he died, and so to be recognized in this particular category for adapting their work, that’s very special for me.”
Nolan notably competes against Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig for their work on Barbie. Other nominees in the category included Cord Jefferson for American Fiction, Tony McNamara for Poor Things, and Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest. Barbie‘s inclusion in the Adapted Screenplay had earlier sparked controversy since the story was only inspired by characters created by Ruth Handler. (via Variety)
Oppenheimer grossed $955 million at the box office and will get an official theatrical release in Japan this year. The film is now available for rent on AppleTV+.
