Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer received an official rating, confirmed in a new TV spot from Universal Pictures. The Oppenheimer rating might surprise Nolan fans since it's his first film to receive such classification since 2002's Insomnia.Universal's Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy as the eponymous theoretical physicist, who is credited as the creator — or father — of the atomic bomb. The Universal film chronicles Oppenheimer's work on the Manhattan Project, which led to the production of the first nuclear weapons. However, Murphy advised audiences to expect something different from Nolan's Oppenheimer, and the MPAA rating might give moviegoers a sense of why. Universal released a new Oppenheimer TV spot that confirms Nolan's next film will be rated R. According to the TV spot, Oppenheimer will be rated R for "Some sexuality, nudity, and language." As mentioned, the last Nolan film to receive an R rating was Memento in 2002. Every Nolan film since then, including The Dark Knight trilogy and the World War II film titled Dunkirk, was rated PG-13. Audiences should also expect to sit in the theater for a long time while watching Oppenheimer, as Nolan recently confirmed the film is the longest of his career, running at just short of three hours.
Oppenheimer is one of the most anticipated films of 2023. While Nolan's most recent film, Tenet, received generally favorable reviews, it performed poorly at the box office partly because it was released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some people also criticized Tenet for being self-indulgent and needlessly complicated. So, anticipation for Oppenheimer is palpable from audiences eager to see a Nolan movie on the big screen for the first time in a while and those who weren't thrilled by Tenet but hope this new film delivers.
Of course, Oppenheimer will face competition from Margot Robbie's Barbie movie. While some might not expect Oppenheimer and Barbie to attract the same audience, moviegoers of all types are excited to see the iconic doll's first live-action feature film. The anticipation for Barbie is boosted by the involvement of director Greta Gerwig, who cemented herself as an exceptional filmmaker with Lady Bird and 2019 Little Women.
On the other hand, if the internet is any indication, several people plan to see Oppenheimer and Barbie on the same day or weekend. Only one can earn the top spot at the box office on their opening weekend, but one way or the other, it seems moviegoers have a lot to look forward to in July.
Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Source: Christopher Nolan Art & Updates