Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerreceived an official rating, confirmed in a new TV spot fromUniversal Pictures. TheOppenheimerrating might surprise Nolan fans since it’s his first film to receive such classification since 2002’sInsomnia.Universal’sOppenheimerstars 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 toexpect something different from Nolan’sOppenheimer, and the MPAA rating might give moviegoers a sense of why.RELATED:Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan Crowns Successful CinemaCon Screening With Bold DeclarationUniversal released a newOppenheimerTV spot that confirms Nolan’s next film will be rated R. According to the TV spot,Oppenheimerwill be rated R for “Some sexuality, nudity, and language.” As mentioned, the last Nolan film to receive an R rating wasMementoin 2002. Every Nolan film since then, includingThe Dark Knighttrilogyand the World War II film titledDunkirk, was rated PG-13. Audiences should also expect to sit in the theater for a long time while watchingOppenheimer, as Nolan recently confirmed the film is the longest of his career, running at just short of three hours.
Oppenheimeris 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 criticizedTenetfor being self-indulgentand needlessly complicated. So, anticipation forOppenheimeris 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 byTenetbut hope this new film delivers.
Of course,Oppenheimerwill face competition fromMargot Robbie’sBarbiemovie. While some might not expectOppenheimerandBarbieto attract the same audience, moviegoers of all types are excited to see the iconic doll’s first live-action feature film. The anticipation forBarbieis boosted by the involvement of director Greta Gerwig, who cemented herself as an exceptional filmmaker with Lady Bird and 2019Little Women.
On the other hand, if the internet is any indication, several people plan to seeOppenheimerandBarbieon 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.
Oppenheimeris scheduled to be released in theaters on Jun 22, 2025.
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