'Oppenheimer' mania sweeps China, sets hearts racing of fans

Hollywood always eyed the Chinese massive (largest overseas) market bonanza for their films as directors routinely traveled to the country for promotions. But the pandemic hit the brakes on the ritual.

Now, Christopher Nolan resumed the streak to become the first key Hollywood filmmaker to travel to mainland China for a red carpet stroll as Oppenheimer premiered various places in the country.

Witnessing the British director stir a fan frenzy in the East Asian country, the state-run Global Times noted that Nolan "set hearts racing" with his visit to the region.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media app, clips went viral where fans grabbed the Inception auteur posters and his signed autographs, which prompted feverish discussion about the film on the social site.

With the hashtag #OppenheimerPremiere netted 20 million views, one moviegoer noted, "Nolan made sure to interact with nearly every fan, tirelessly signing autographs for us."

Oppenheimer is listed at the top of Maoyan, a renowned Chinese ticketing site, as the movie will open in theatres on August 30.