Director Christopher Nolan took home two Oscars for the film, Oppenheimer— for best film as producer and best director. Reportedly, Nolan’s paycheck for the movie was almost $100 million.
The amount isn’t just his salary as director, but, a combination of part of box office earnings, backend compensation and a bonus as an acknowledgement of the two Oscars. Nolan got a 15 per cent cut of the movie’s “first-dollar” gross.
The movie starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt, garnered a cult following. The movie garnered critical acclaim and commercial success. Nolan signed a deal with Universal and opted for box office earnings instead of an upfront fee for directing.
“From the box office haul, home video sales, and licensing the movie’s first streaming window alone, Nolan will make an estimated $72 million pre-tax, after paying fees to his agent and lawyer ($85 million gross). The total will continue to rise as the movie gets re-sold to streamers and is licensed for years to come,” a Forbes report by Matt Craig reads. The movie, which was released in July 2023, grossed $958 million at the global box office.
In February, Oppenheimer became available to stream on Peacock. It is also available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other VOD platforms. Oppenheimer was nominated in 13 categories and won seven awards, including best actor for Cillian Murphy and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr.