Christopher Nolan has described Oppenheimer’s Oscars wins as the “icing on the cake” of its successful run.

The filmmaker won his first two Oscars – for Best Director and Best Picture – at the Academy Awards on Sunday night for his movie about the creation of the atomic bomb.

Reflecting on his wins backstage, Nolan told reporters that he never expected Oppenheimer to be such a hit with audiences.

“It’s just the most incredible thrill,” he began. “When you make a film on a large scale, obviously, you have to believe there’s some audience for it out there. But, starting with the release in July, the response from people around the world far exceeded anything I’d imagined possible, and winning this recognition from my peers is just the icing on the cake. It’s very important to me, it’s really a wonderful finish to what’s been an incredible year.”

The Inception filmmaker added that being recognised by his directing peers at the Oscars and Directors Guild of America Awards were “very special” to him, while the Best Picture win was an “unbelievable thrill” for the whole Oppenheimer team.

In a separate interview with his producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven, Nolan singled out the first hair and make-up test as his most memorable moment during Oppenheimer’s journey to the screen.

“There was something about seeing Cillian (Murphy) put the hat on, and Robert Downey Jr. with his head shaved back and Emily Blunt in old-age make-up,” he shared. “That was a very special moment, especially to realise what the actors were able to do and the thing was going to work, and to see that technical side of things that (cinematographer) Hoyte (van Hoytema) was bringing to the table… that will always stay with me.”

Oppenheimer, which has taken more than $960 million (£750 million) at the box office, won seven Oscars overall, including Best Actor for Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Downey Jr., Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

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