Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas honoured by King Charles III-OxBig News Network

King Charles III knights Christopher Nolan
| Photo Credit: X/ @RoyalFamily

Fresh off their Oscar triumph with Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas have been knighted and made a dame respectively, in recognition of their contributions to cinema. The honors, personally approved by King Charles III, were bestowed during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where the royal himself expressed admiration for their work.

Nolan, who directed Oppenheimer, described receiving the knighthood alongside his wife as “very special.” Thomas, the producer of all his films, called the recognition “mind-blowing,” adding, “I had never even dreamed of anything like this happening.”

During their meeting, King Charles praised their biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, with Thomas sharing that the monarch “liked it,” making the moment even more gratifying. The film, which won seven Academy Awards earlier this year, including Best Picture, brought the couple their first Best Film BAFTA as well.

Reflecting on their partnership, Nolan emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “We’ve been making films together since university. Having a partnership at the heart of it that is the same as it’s ever been has been incredibly important.”

The couple, who co-founded the production company Syncopy, have collaborated on major films such as Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and Tenet.

Looking ahead, Nolan is set to return to Universal for his next film, slated for a 2026 release and starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Meanwhile, Interstellar continues to break records, as the highest grossing IMAX re-release of all time.