Oppenheimer Director Christopher Nolan Praises Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Nolan notes he will stop what he's doing and watch it whenever it's on television.
Christopher Nolan has cemented himself as one of the biggest box office directors of the modern era. The man behind blockbuster projects like Inception and Dunkirk made his theatrical return this past July with Oppenheimer. This R-rated, three-hour biopic had everything going against it on paper but has rapidly made itself one of the most successful projects of 2023, both critically and financially. Oppenheimer currently sits at $648 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest earner of the year and is just over $30 million from eclipsing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to join the top five. While the success can be attributed towards many facets, one unsung aspect was Oppenheimer's press tour.
The seldom seen Nolan had just about the most screen time he's had throughout his career while on this press tour, and during it, Nolan shared some unexpected answers. When an interviewer pointed out the film's wide variety of genre actors in its cast, specifically pointing to Devon Bostick, Nolan replied, "Rodrick Rules," the name of Bostick's Diary of a Wimpy Kid character and the title of that franchise's second movie.
Nolan knowing of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules's existence surprised many, and as evident by another interview, his film catalog contains another unanticipated answer.
Christopher Nolan Shares Love For Talladega Nights
Speaking to The Rich Eisen Show during the Oppenheimer press tour, Christopher Nolan revealed that his "remote drop" movie (a film he will stop whatever he's doing to watch if it's on television) is Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
"I'm never gonna be able to switch that up," Nolan said of the Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly's NASCAR collaboration project. "If you ain't first, you're last."
Nolan was then asked if Ferrell is aware of his love for the 2006 comedy, to which he replied, "He does now."
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby represents the second feature film that Ferrell and director Adam McKay came together on. The actor-director duo have produced some of the biggest cult classic comedies of the 21st century including Anchorman and The Other Guys. Talladega Nights also united the fan-favorite comedy duo of Ferrell and Reilly for the first time. Those two would go on to lead Step Brothers together under McKay's direction two years later.
Oppenheimer is currently in theaters.
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