'I Hate That F—ing Word’: Emily Blunt Gets Real About How Oppenheimer Would Never Have Been Made If The Studio Had Listened To Algorithms

"Oppenheimer" was an unlikely hit in the summer of 2023. It got swept up in the Barbenheimer phenomenon, which resulted in people going in droves to the cinemas to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer together as a quirky double feature. The trend got a lot of unexpected eyes on "Oppenheimer," a three hour historical biopic, directed by auteur filmmaker Christopher Nolan. This genre of film rarely does numbers at the box office, as superhero blockbuster dominance has boosted titles with existing IP as the real money makers. However, "Oppenheimer" went on to break box office records and won Best Picture at the Oscars. Now Emily Blunt who starred in the film is opening up about the movie’s success, and how it defied studio algorithm predictors and became a hit.

Blunt is currently promoting her latest film with Ryan Gosling, "The Fall Guy." The movie boosts major movie stars, but it’s still somewhat of a risk for Universal, as The Fall Guy isn’t a sequel or a prequel, or adapted from any preexisting IP. It is a completely original movie, which rarely has a blockbuster-style release. It isn’t a sure thing for studios, who often rely on algorithms as predictors for financial success. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Blunt opened up about how much she hates these algorithms and its influence on creativity.