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Director Christopher Nolan is gearing up for his first Oscar win for 2023’s WWII biopicOppenheimer. The film has had a dream run during awards season, with Nolan and his fellow nominees Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. winning big at the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG awards. The film would be Nolan’s second Oscar nomination afterDunkirk.
While the director has a loyal fanbase that spans the globe, the success ofOppenheimerwas reportedly a surprise for the makers. The filmmaker has often mentioned how grateful he was for the audience to have made a blockbuster out of a three-hour film with mostly just talking. Taking the film’s success as an example, director Denis Villeneuve reportedly defended his upcoming filmDune: Part Two’s long runtime.
Denis Villeneuve DefendsDune: Part Two’s Long Runtime
Denis Villeneuvehas never been the one to compromise on his storytelling for the sake of studio-approved runtimes. The filmmaker’s previous films have taken the time required for the story to be told without being cut down to make for more screenings. Villeneuve’s previous effortBlade Runner 2049reportedly clocked in at 163 minutes whileDune: Part Oneran up to 155 minutes.
In an interview withThe Times, Denis Villeneuve defended his long runtime forDune: Part Two.Based on Frank Herbert’sDune, the adaptation was split into two parts to make sure that none of the important parts of the story were lost. He said,
“I trust the audience. This story’s too dense. I would never make ‘Dune’ as one movie. This was the only way I could succeed.”
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Denis Villeneuve recently referred to Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimeras an example of great success despite long runtimes and less action-oriented sequences. The director mentioned that the film also appealed to younger audiences who looked for engaging content. He said,
“Also, think of Oppenheimer. It is a three-hour, rated-R movie about nuclear physics that is mostly talking. But the public was young — that was the movie of the year by far for my kids. There is a trend. The youth love to watch long movies because if they pay, they want to see something substantial. They are craving meaningful content.”
Denis Villeneuve’sDune: Part Tworuns up to 167 minutes and chronicles Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and his journey with the Fremen. The film will open in cinemas on March 1, after being delayed from November 2023.
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Christopher Nolan Was Surprised ByOppenheimer’s success
With the upcomingDune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve made his longest film yet, with the released version clocking up to 167 minutes. While most blockbuster films only run for up to two hours, some have refused to conform to these unsaid rules. Films such asThe Batman, which clocked in at 176 minutes, andAvengers: Endgame,which ran up to 181 minutes, have skirted around these guidelines and have ended up being great successes.
Despite some good case studies, longer runtimes still seem to be a rare occurrence in the blockbuster cinema space. DirectorChristopher Nolan, who recently tasted success withOppenheimer,saw the growing trend of longer films receiving success in an optimistic way about where the movie industry was heading. Nolan has also been a huge proponent of the theatrical experience and mentioned that he was positive about success in the film industry.
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In an interview withEmpire, Christopher Nolan spoke about how surprised he was at the success of a three-hour film about WW II and his outlook on the film industry. 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. So I feel great about the state of the movie business, based on my own experience. But also based on seeing other movies break out, seeing audiences come back.”
Christopher Nolan has also never been afraid of runtimes as he has made similar, long films before. WhileOppenheimerclocked in at 180 minutes, his previous films, such asInterstellarandThe Dark Knight Rises,have gone up to 165 and 169 minutes, respectively. They have also earned commercial success at the box office, withThe Dark Knight Risesearning $1.08 billion.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
