Ranking Christopher Nolan’s Films by Box Office Success

Originally published on July 17, 2026. Ahead of The Odyssey, this article ranks the success of director Christopher Nolan’s feature-length films based on their box office gross during the domestic opening period.

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Christopher Nolan is a preeminent, prolific filmmaker. His 12 feature films are widely adored by critics and audiences alike. As both director and writer, Nolan has dazzled and befuddled fans for decades with mind-bending thrillers, mysteries, and more. Soon, his latest release, The Odyssey, will hit theaters. With its premiere on July 17, many people are already predicting a massive opening weekend turnout. Since a lot of IMAX tickets sold out in a presale over a year in advance, that’s a fair assumption; just check your nearest screening, and you’ll probably see most seats marked as already taken.

So, get those chairs and Trojan Horse popcorn buckets filled. Then settle in as journalists start calculating ticket purchases. With a budget of $250,000,000, the goal is to at least break even on earnings … but Nolan’s global popularity means he’ll likely surpass this staggering number, even factoring in that hefty 3-hour runtime. Do you think it can be done during the first weekend?

Which factors determine a film’s success?

Of course, many factors influence box office success. Familiar, fandom-led pieces (such as those inspired by DC) are generally more popular than original IPs. By virtue of their genre, action movies will typically draw bigger crowds than surreal dramas. The time of year released is also often crucial. After all, a summer blockbuster will likely earn more than any movies released during colder months when people don’t want to leave the house. Something released in 2020 was similarly not seen much. Nolan’s films also alternate between PG-13 and R ratings. R-rated films require audience members to be over 18 years old, versus a PG-13 film can be viewed during a family outing.

So, while money does indeed talk, it is not the end-all, be-all of statistics. Nor does financial success determine the overall value of a piece of media when they are so many other contributions to consider. Ultimately, then, big domestic opening stats don’t always equate to a high-quality release. However, it’s still fascinating to see which films grossed the highest in cinemas. Others have made their mark in physical and digital DVD/Blu-ray purchases or on streaming platforms. Following, for instance, can be collected in its restored edition via the Criterion Collection. The Dark Knight Trilogy also sees frequent (re)play on HBO Max.

By solely looking at opening weekend gross, though, we can learn a lot about if a movie is successfully marketed, or if the cast and crew have generated enough “hype” around the release. Check out Nolan’s filmed as listed by opening gains. Where does your favorite film rank among them?

Nolan films ranked by their domestic opening (lowest to highest):

• Following
• Memento
• Tenet
• The Prestige
• Insomnia
• Interstellar
• Batman Begins
• Dunkirk
• Inception
• Oppenheimer
• The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight Rises

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Following

• Domestic Opening: $1,636
• Release Date: April 24, 1998
• Budget: $6,000
• Running Time: 1 hr 9 min
• Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
• Rating: R

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Memento

• Domestic Opening: $235,488
• Release Date: March 16, 2001
• Budget: $9,000,000
• Running Time: 1 hr 53 min
• Genre: Mystery/Thriller
• Rating: R

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Tenet

• Domestic Opening: $9,353,090
• Release Date: August 26, 2020
• Budget: $205,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 30 min
• Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller
• Rating: PG-13

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The Prestige

• Domestic Opening: $14,801,808
• Release Date: October 20, 2006
• Budget: $40,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 10 min
• Genre: Drama/Mystery/Sci-Fi/Thriller
• Rating: PG-13

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Insomnia

• Domestic Opening: $20,930,169
• Release Date: May 24, 2002
• Budget: $46,000,000
• Running Time: 1 hr 58 min
• Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
• Rating: R

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Interstellar

• Domestic Opening: $47,510,360
• Release Date: November 5, 2014
• Budget: $165,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 49 min
• Genre: Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi
• Rating: PG-13

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Batman Begins

• Domestic Opening: $48,745,440
• Release Date: June 15, 2005
• Budget: $150,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 20 min
• Genre: Crime/Super Hero
• Rating: PG-13

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Dunkirk

• Domestic Opening: $50,513,488
• Release Date: July 19, 2017
• Budget: $100,000,000
• Running Time: 1 hr 46 min
• Genre: Action/Drama/History/War/Thriller
• Rating: PG-13

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Inception

• Domestic Opening: $62,785,337
• Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Budget: $160,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 28 min
• Genre: Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller
• Rating: PG-13

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Oppenheimer

• Domestic Opening: $82,455,420
• Release Date: July 19, 2023
• Budget: $100,000,000
• Running Time: 3 hr
• Genre: Biography/Drama/History
• Rating: R

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The Dark Knight

• Domestic Opening: $158,411,483
• Release Date: July 18, 2008
• Budget: $185,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 32 min
• Genre: Crime/Thriller/Super Hero
• Rating: PG-13

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The Dark Knight Rises

• Domestic Opening: $160,887,295
• Release Date: July 19, 2012
• Budget: $250,000,000
• Running Time: 2 hr 44 min
• Genre: Crime/Thriller/Super Hero
• Rating: PG-13

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What is your favorite Christopher Nolan film? Where does it fall on this objective list — and do you think, subjectively, that deserves to be ranked higher or lower? Personally, I’ll always seek justice for Tenet. Make your own case at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!