Without a doubt, Chistopher Nolan is one of the greatest directors to ever work in Hollywood, as his dedication to the craft, willingness to break new ground and penchant for experimentation have earned him quite a reputation even by the standards of famous directors.
Despite the love from critics and fans, the Academy has always been a little cautious in professing its love for the Brit, but it looks like Nolan's latest, Oppenheimer, may finally force them to give him some long-awaited awards.
Considering how much money Oppenheimer made at the box office, the entire movie industry is basically in Nolan and Gerwig's Barbie's debt for saving the industry, so it will be hard for the Academy to deny Nolan a shot at the coveted Best Director
A long streak of losses
Though Nolan has been directing major Hollywood productions for more than two decades now, and has garnered rave reviews from critics with each new film, he has only been nominated for Oscars a handful of times, and has never actually won.
Here are all of Nolan's Academy Award nominations:
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Best Original Screenplay – Memento (2002)
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Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay – Inception (2010)
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Best Picture, Best Director Best Original Screenplay – Dunkirk (2018)
Yes, the Academy has only nominated Nolan for a Best Director trophy once, when he could have won one for every single movie he's made! Still, it's only natural that he will finally win one next year.
No competition
While Nolan is incomparably great as a director, it's fortunate that none of the films coming out in 2023 can boast the same level of quality as Oppenheimer, and the only other directors that come to mind as his possible contenders are Martin Scorsese (who already has plenty of Oscars), Greta Gerwig, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Needless to say, given how much attention Oppenheimer has gotten this year, none of those directors stand a chance against Nolan, and even if he doesn't win in the end, it would only confirm that the Academy hates the British director, which will result in fans boycotting the awards.