When the #Barbenheimer hashtag emerged last summer, encouraging filmgoers to watch two radically different blockbusters as a double bill, Christopher Nolan’s epic study of atom bomb pioneer J Robert Oppenheimer appeared almost as an afterthought to the frothy, comedic doll-centred Barbie, its seriousness and three-hour length weighing it down. The box office battle – Barbie’s $1.4bn worldwide revenue convincingly defeating Oppenheimer’s $959.9m – appeared conclusive. But as the awards season nears its climax, Oppenheimer looks set to eclipse Barbie at both the Oscars and the Baftas, with the stage set for a triumphant homecoming for Nolan at the Baftas in London on Sunday.
Despite his status as a major Hollywood auteur, with his films having earned over $6bn and critical hosannas by the bucket-load, Nolan is yet to win an Oscar or a Bafta. With 12 features under his belt as director, Nolan’s work has ranged from innovative thrillers such as Memento to superhero epics including Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and sci-fi adventures such as Inception, Interstellar and Tenet. Oppenheimer continues Nolan’s interest in historical drama, after 2017’s Dunkirk. But despite five previous Oscar nominations and five Baftas, Nolan is yet to take home a single statuette.
