Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie Tease Looks Less Likely After Oppenheimer’s Huge Oscars Win

Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan‘s next movie tease seems a lot less likely after Oppenheimer‘s huge Oscars wins in several major categories. Despite making some of cinema’s most well-crafted and memorable pictures, from The Dark Knight to Inception, Nolan had yet to nab an Oscar, making his Best Directing win at the 2024 ceremony even more exciting. As expected, Oppenheimer took home several statuettes, including Best Actor in a Leading Role, which went to Cillian Murphy; Best Actor in a Supporting Role, which Robert Downey Jr. nabbed; and, of course, the biggest trophy of the night: Best Picture.

Ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards, Christopher Nolan teased a return to blockbuster filmmaking by admitting his desire to make a movie that’s “not as bleak” as Oppenheimer for his next project. While there are plenty of genres and themes Nolan should tackle next, it would be exciting to see him return to big-name popcorn flicks. Unlike other filmmakers, Christopher Nolan has carved out a rather balanced career, from niche, cerebral thrillers like Memento to franchise hits like The Dark Knight trilogy to films like Inception that blur the lines between box-office smash and awards darling.

Oppenheimer’s Oscars 2024 Success May Change Plans For Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie

While Christopher Nolan didn’t outright say he’d return to making blockbusters with franchise potential, à la The Dark Knight trilogy, his incredibly balanced career — and desire to make something a little less haunting — hints at that shift. On the other hand, Nolan’s wins for Best Directing and Best Picture, among Oppenheimer‘s many other wins, might change the filmmaker’s pre-Oscars gameplan. After all, Oppenheimer was able to straddle the line between blockbuster hit and critical darling. Nolan has proven that he can take a dark subject and turn it into one of the year’s biggest, must-see movies.

Overall, Oppenheimer made a staggering $955.8 million at the worldwide box office. The third highest-grossing movie of 2023, it’s also the third highest-grossing movie of Nolan’s career, falling just short of both The Dark Knight and its billion-dollar sequel. The 2023 biographical epic about the creation of the atomic bomb is certainly one of Nolan’s most successful outings, especially as of late. With an impressive gross and seven Oscar wins, Oppenheimer is a welcome return to form for Nolan after the divisive Tenet, which failed to triumph on either side of the blockbuster/awards-winner coin.

Christopher Nolan Is Keeping His Next Movie Under Wraps – For Now

After garnering a Best Original Screenplay nomination for his mind-bending Memento, Christopher Nolan went after commercial success with his Dark Knight trilogy and The Prestige. In 2010, Inception bridged the filmmaker’s strengths, becoming an Oscar-nominated Hollywood blockbuster thanks to its ambitious, complex storytelling. The director’s Inception follow-up, Interstellar, also favored cerebral twists and turns, though it didn’t strike the same pop-cultural chord as the 2010 hit. In 2017, Nolan infused the war drama Dunkirk with his signature thriller flourishes, giving audiences a preview of his 2023 historical epic magnum opus.

Given his genre-hopping track record, it’s difficult to predict Nolan’s next move. More than anything else, what unites Nolan’s blockbusters and cerebral thrillers is the director’s dedication to pushing filmmaking forward. On the artistic side, Nolan is unafraid to play with experimental soundscapes or pen pictures with unconventional narrative structures. However, the Oscar-winning filmmaker has also become a notable IMAX televangelist, favoring large-format photography that immerses audiences in his movies. It’s possible that Nolan’s Oppenheimer follow-up is under wraps (for now) because the director wants to find a subject that balances blockbuster potential and awards appeal.

Why Nolan Returning To Blockbusters Is Exciting (Despite Oppenheimer’s Success)

While Christopher Nolan won’t be directing Bond 26, the Academy Award-winning force behind Oppenheimer could still land a movie with franchise potential for his next big project. The Dark Knight trilogy may have been the exception to the rule for Nolan; while the filmmaker has adapted other works for the silver screen (including Oppenheimer), he tends toward ambitious, unfamiliar stories. Still, Christopher Nolan‘s potential return to blockbusters is exciting. Another box-office triumph would cement Nolan’s ability to switch between tones, genres, and subjects, reiterating his status as one of the most influential contemporary directors in the industry.