Oppenheimer lands Christopher Nolan’s first R rating in two decades – here’s why

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer has officially been handed an R rating in the United States, making it his first above the PG-13 classification in 21 years.

Three years removed from his previous flick Tenet, Nolan’s next highly anticipated release is now just on the horizon. Oppenheimer is set to hit the big screen on July 21 and not only will it be one of his longest projects yet, clocking in near the three-hour mark, but it’s also his first to land an R rating in two decades.

Oppenheimer has landed this Restricted rating from the Motion Picture Association film rating system, making it his first in that category since Insomnia in 2002.

Nolan’s most recent blockbusters like Interstellar, Inception, and the full Dark Knight trilogy, have all been classified under the PG-13 rating.

Why is Oppenheimer rated R?

As reported by Variety, Universal Pictures has confirmed Oppenheimer officially landed an R rating. This comes as a result of “some sexuality, nudity, and language,” according to the description.

Exactly how this adult material is featured throughout the three-hour epic is yet to be seen. Though it was seemingly prominent enough to have the film bumped from PG-13 up to an R rating, meaning any viewers under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

Naturally, given the subject matter, we can obviously expect a rather bleak look at the epochal period in human history. But whether Nolan intentionally set out with an R rating in mind for this project, remains unclear.

Oppenheimer is set to debut in theaters around the world on July 21, a date shared by Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. Get up to speed on all the latest Oppenheimer news right here.