Christopher Nolan interprets Oppenheimer’s success: “The public needs something new”

“Looking at the box office numbers, it’s obvious that audiences are looking for something new.”

Over the past two decades, superhero films have flooded cinemas – countless sequels have emerged in an attempt to breathe new life into these iconic comic book figures. Oppenheimer has proven that the public is fond of darker and more complex fiction. In any case, that’s what Christopher Nolan and other directors have drawn as analysis: the phenomenon gives hope to Hollywood creators. During a long paper filled with different speakers, Variety returned to the effect Oppenheimer in the cinematographic landscape, a few months after the explosion – and at the moment of its arrival in our living rooms.

“Not only Oppenheimer worked, but it defied preconceptions, tells for example Damien ChazelleOscar-winning filmmaker for La La Land. Before I even saw the film, I had the feeling that this was one of those typical scenarios. People in the community said: ‘This is not what the public expects.’ They were all wrong and that makes his success all the sweeter.”

For Christopher Nolanit is clear thatOppenheimer is proof that audiences are demanding new and stimulating cinematic experiences. Note also that for the first time since 2001, the three most profitable films of the year – barbie, Super Mario Bros, the movie And Oppenheimer – are not sequels.

“It’s obvious, looking at the box office numbers, that audiences are looking for something new. We’ve been in a period where it’s been wonderfully reassuring for studios to feel that their franchise can thrive. There’s no denying that the desire for novelty among moviegoers.”explain Christopher Nolan.

Despite tension regarding the release date overlapping with barbiethe relation between Christopher Nolan and the studio Warner Bros. is not tainted. “Water has flowed under the bridges”he explains about his departure from the studio after 20 yearsand the competition between his film produced by Universal with his ex-house.

The night of the premiereOppenheimer last July, Christopher Nolan invited his mother, his producer (and his wife), Emma Thomasalong with three of their four children to the Imax theater at Manhattan’s AMC Lincoln Square to see how the crowd might react to the film.

During the screening, when Robert Oppenheimer and his team are about to detonate the bomb, Christopher Nolan was able to witness the intensification of concentration in the room. “Being able to witness this was a unique experience, he remembers. The screening was sold out and what was happening on screen was so powerful. This level of commitment was something I had never felt before. My involvement paid off.”

The filmmaker’s involvement is also reflected in his clothing style, considered simplistic and even a bit professorial. Christopher Nolan doesn’t waste his energy on aesthetic procrastination – he likes to get to the point so he can focus on what really interests him, as evidenced by the director of photography ofOppenheimer, Hoyte Van Hoytema : “His clothing style is proof that he puts his energy elsewhere. He wears a uniform to make life easier, he doesn’t want to worry. He has his habits, he is attached to them and that allows him not to turn away from what is essential. He is so focused on what he has to accomplish. I have never worked with a filmmaker as dedicated and committed as him.”

Emma Thomaswife and producer of the filmmaker, looked at the qualities and faults of her husband : “Chris is clear about what he needs. But there is also a sense of calm that allows people to do their best.” Christopher Nolan constantly takes notes on potential ideas, which most often do not come to fruition. “His office is a mess. It is covered with notebooks. He has no method – there are sketches, movie logos, bits of story he would like to tell. He writes everything.”, confides Emma Thomas again.

After his success at the cinema, Oppenheimer is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. The details of its multiple bonuses can be read here.

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