When Oppenheimer hit the theatres last summer, the atomic chaos spread like wildfire. Led by showrunners like Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., the film was one of the highest-grossing productions of 2023 with over billion-dollar revenue, whose eventual spacing into the award ceremonies stands as a significant testament of its impact. As a big money-spinner, it also added the push to its contributors’ financial stance, more specifically, for its creator and visionary, Christopher Nolan.

While Nolan’s status as a box office magnate is not new, his commercial success from Oppenheimer, however, surely makes his case even stronger. 

Christopher Nolan’s paycheck from Oppenheimer

As one of the high-impact auteurs of Hollywood today, it is not that shocking that Nolan’s movie cheques bear a resemblance to his bankability. Hence, for the Oscar-nominee Oppenheimer, it is only justified that Nolan made his pockets heavy. According to Forbes’ estimation, the calculation from box office generation, home video sales, and licensing the movie’s first streaming slate alone, Nolan’s earning stands at $72 million pre-tax after deducting his agent and lawyer’s fees. 

The filmmaker, furthermore, reportedly earns 15% of Oppenheimer’s “first-dollar gross”. This means that Nolan gets the first hand here with the scope of bagging a share of every penny the movie makes, even before the studio expenses attempt recovery. Considering that the movie continues its re-purchase by streamers and earns license in the years to come, the movie will continue eclipsing its run for big-budget earnings.

While Nolan’s paycheck looks quite eye-glittering, for its showrunners as well, the paychecks were no less than bulky.

How much did Cillian Murphy and his co-stars earn from Oppenheimer?

Besides the brain behind the masterpiece, the man whose presence in Oppenheimer was a contributor to its rise is Cillian Murphy. The Oppenheimer actor who boasts a net worth of $20 million currently was reportedly paid a whopping $10 million dollars, according to NME. Although the sources have not confirmed the paycheck with surety, most media tabloids have learned the figure estimating to the above. Even for his co-stars, the project was quite a lucrative deal.

Robert Downey Jr. supposedly took home an alleged $4 million. Furthermore, Variety reports that Emily Blunt and Matt Damon also bagged a similar deal. On the other hand, Florence Pugh, who starred as Jean Tatlock, supposedly took home $1 million. While the salaries look enough for fattening wallets, Oppenheimer’s foray into the competitive realm of cinema is solely an outcome of raw talent, making even a million-dollar salary incapable of advocating for the invaluable experience it brings.

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