Christopher Nolan’s Last 5 Films: Oppenheimer, Tenet & More — Which Made The Most Profit?

Among the last five films directed by Christopher Nolan, find out which one generated the most profit from its theatrical run.

- May 2, 2026 | 12:51 PM IST

Christopher Nolan's Last 5 Films At The Box Office — Christopher Nolan’s Last 5 Films At The Box Office(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Celebrated Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan is known for delivering a fine blend of several critically acclaimed films and blockbuster hits, like Insomnia, The Prestige, The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. His last directorial effort was the 2023 biographical drama Oppenheimer, which ranks as the third-highest-grossing Best Picture Oscar winner of all time at the worldwide box office, behind only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Titanic.

Cinephiles worldwide are waiting with bated breath for his next film, the epic fantasy action The Odyssey, slated for a theatrical release on July 17, 2026. It will be interesting to see whether the Matt Damon-starrer can achieve what Oppenheimer narrowly missed – crossing the $1 billion worldwide milestone. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the last five films directed by Christopher Nolan and find out which one among them generated the highest theatrical profit over break-even.

Christopher Nolan – Last 5 Films Box Office Performance

Here are the last five Christopher Nolan-directed movies, their worldwide earnings (as per Box Office Mojo data), production budgets, and estimated break-even points (based on the commonly used 2.5x multiplier rule).

1. Oppenheimer (2023)

Worldwide Total: $975.8 million
Budget: $100 million
Break-Even: $250 million

2. Tenet (2020)

Worldwide Total: $365.3 million
Budget: $205 million
Break-Even: $512.5 million

3. Dunkirk (2017)

Worldwide Total: $549.1 million
Budget: $100 million
Break-Even: $250 million

4. Interstellar (2014)

Worldwide Total: $774.6 million
Budget: $165 million
Break-Even: $412.5 million

5. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Worldwide Total: $1.085 billion
Budget: $250 million
Break-Even: $625 million

Box Office Profits Over Break-Even (Estimated)

Oppenheimer (2023): $725.8 million
The Dark Knight Rises (2012): $460 million
Interstellar (2014): $362.1 million
Dunkirk (2017): $299.1 million
Tenet (2020): – $147.2 million

The figures and calculations above suggest that although The Dark Knight Rises was the highest-grossing film among Christopher Nolan’s last five theatrical releases, it wasn’t the one that generated the biggest box-office profit (due to its higher budget). That honor goes to the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer, which earned $725.8 million in theatrical profit. The only film on this list that didn’t earn a theatrical profit over its break-even point is Tenet, because its box office performance was affected by the pandemic.

What Was Oppenheimer All About?

The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), a brilliant theoretical physicist who played an important role in developing the atomic bomb during World War II. It also features Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, and others in supporting roles.