Christopher Nolan believes Oppenheimer is his magnum opus, despite it not surpassing the box office record set by The Dark Knight.

As 2023 is coming to an end, Christopher Nolan is reflecting on the year. It should not be a surprise as his film Oppenheimer fetched $954 million at the box office and why he thinks of it as his magnum opus.

It beat Hollywood tentpoles like Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It has even overtaken Freddie Mercury’s biopic Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest-ever-grossing biopic, earning $910.8 million.

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer

The film starring Cillian Murphy as the father of the atomic bomb, Robert J. Oppenheimer, was a true blockbuster. The philosophical summer thriller has indeed captured the minds of the audience and added as another masterpiece in Nolan’s portfolio. Its box office results made Nolan quite optimistic about the future as well.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Deemed His Pinnacle Despite Not Besting The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan on the set of Oppenheimer

In an interview with the Empire Magazine, Christopher Nolan expressed his gratitude towards his biographical drama. He said:

“I’ve just made a three-hour film about Robert Oppenheimer which is R-rated and half in black-and-white – and it made a billion dollars. Of course I think films are doing great. The crazy thing is that it’s literally the most successful film I’ve ever made. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and in the United Kingdom it’s my highest-grossing film.”

The fact is Nolan addressed it as “the most successful film” he has ever made. Obviously, it’s a billion-dollar motion picture that features a star-studded cast like Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.

But it’s not his first film that broke many records. Nolan has experienced this before in The Dark Knight. The Batman flick broke many box-office records during its theatrical run, earning over $1 billion worldwide.

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is More Successful Than Oppenheimer 

Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s interrogation scene in The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight topped the list of the movies he has made. It earned $1.006 billion at the box office to date. His Batman movie, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, changed the industry when it was released in 2008. It boosted Nolan’s career in ways that can be felt to this day.

With this film, Bale also cemented himself as the finest Batman on the big screen. The 2008 The Dark Knight is a visual excellence. It’s an intricate blend of cinematography, production design, and visual effects. There’s no comparison, but it won’t be wrong to say The Dark Knight is one of Nolan’s masterpieces that beat Oppenheimer’s box office records.