Christopher Nolan's Return to Barbie vs Oppenheimer Causes a Stir at Warner Bros

Warner Bros. is reportedly making efforts to bring back Christopher Nolan to their studio after his working relationship with them came to an end. The news comes after Warner Bros. announced that their upcoming summer blockbuster, Barbie, would be releasing on the same day as Nolan's biographical movie, Oppenheimer. Many speculated that this move was intentional, possibly in response to Nolan's departure from the studio. However, Warner Bros. is now said to be offering Nolan a seven-figure royalty check and may be hopeful that he will return to their studio, especially since he performed post-production work on Oppenheimer at the Warner Bros. lot. Co-CEO and co-chairperson of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Michael De Luca, expressed optimism, stating that "there's a world" where Nolan could come back to their studio.

The Nolan and Warner Bros. Feud Explained

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of numerous theatrical releases from 2020 to 2021, Nolan had envisioned Tenet to be one of the first movies to be released after theaters reopened, to offer support during a difficult time. However, with widespread vaccination still not available and many moviegoers still reluctant to return to theaters during the peak of the first wave, Tenet turned out to be a major letdown for Warner Bros, leading to the postponement of other films from different studios, such as Black Widow and No Time to Die, to 2021. This delay also pushed the release of Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984 from October 2, 2020, to December 25, 2020, and it was simultaneously released in selected theaters and on HBO Max.

Despite some audience members and industry experts believing that this release model would be a one-time experiment, similar to Disney's release of the Mulan remake on Disney+ with Premier Access, Tenet's financial failure forced Warner Bros. to release their entire 2021 slate both in theaters and on HBO Max. This decision did not sit well with many filmmakers, including Denis Villeneuve, the director of Dune, who expressed their displeasure at the move, which was reportedly made without consulting the directors and actors involved in the movies. Nolan, who had always been vocal about his disdain for streaming, saw this as an insult to theaters and filmmakers who had crafted their films for the big screen.

Nolan chose to collaborate with Universal on Oppenheimer since they offered a $100 million budget, complete creative freedom, and an exclusive 100-day theatrical release. The film will be showcased in IMAX theaters for a minimum of three weeks, which caused Tom Cruise to express his displeasure over Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One only being screened in IMAX for a week. With both Oppenheimer and Barbie releasing on the same day, it will be intriguing to see which film prevails, given the competitive summer lineup.