Oscars 2024: 20 Insanely Early Predictions

Many of Christopher Nolan's fans feel that he hasn't received enough love from Oscar voters over the years, and that he should've received a number of nominations for The Dark Knight in particular, as well as a Best Director nod for Inception.

Dunkirk certainly saw things turn around somewhat, receiving eight nominations including Best Picture and Director, though mostly in the below-the-line categories.

But Oppenheimer has a very strong chance of finally seeing Nolan break out into the Oscar ranks in a more "serious" way.

In addition to probable noms for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and a slew of technical categories, expect Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt to be serious acting contenders, as well as Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor.

Nolan has directed only a single actor to a nomination to date - The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger - but if Oppenheimer lives up to expectations, it could be his first movie to be represented in basically every major discipline.