LOS ANGELES, March 7 (Reuters) - "Oppenheimer" appears

poised to dominate Sunday's Academy Awards, validating Universal

studio chief Donna Langley's bet on the unconventional,

three-hour-long period drama about the father of the atomic

bomb.

Langley aggressively pursued the project, in part, for the

chance to work with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who

had just severed his two-decade-long relationship with Warner

Bros. Studios in a disagreement over its streaming video

strategy.

The executive committed Universal's full promotional

resources to "Oppenheimer," which would enjoy a 100-plus day

exclusive run in movie theaters before being made available for

home viewing.

"Donna's an incredible collaborator, wonderful studio head

to work for," Nolan told Reuters. "I can't speak highly enough

about her incredible take on material, wonderful notes

throughout, (and) an incredibly supportive effort from her whole

team, which is second to none."

"Oppenheimer" heads into the Oscars ceremony with a leading

13 nominations and is considered the favorite to win best

picture after sweeping other major Hollywood awards. That would

represent a departure from recent years when arthouse films such

as "Nomadland" and "Parasite" took the top prize.

"Oppenheimer" already won big at the box office with $958

million in global ticket sales, helping Universal rank as the

highest-grossing studio of 2023, according to Comscore's

estimate of worldwide box office revenue.

Universal declined to make Langley, 56, available for an

interview.

TALENT-FRIENDLY EXECUTIVE

Several Hollywood sources describe Langley as a

talent-friendly executive who is unafraid to take risks, which

she demonstrated over her tenure as chairman of Comcast Corp's ( CMCSA )

Universal Pictures, and later, as head of the

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes DreamWorks

Animation TV and Focus Features.

"There's a fearlessness about her. There's this unwavering

willingness to take chances, to make big bets -- and it's always

driven by her intelligence, her passion," said Sarah Self, the

co-head of the Motion Picture Literary Department at talent

agency WME.

Langley views talent as Universal's core intellectual

property, backing comedian Jordan Peele's directorial debut,

"Get Out," and supporting Judd Apatow's rise as a producer of

such comedies as "Trainwreck" and "Bridesmaids."

The studio has become a magnet for young talent, including

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the directing duo behind A24's

Oscar-winning "Everything Everywhere All At Once," who signed a

five-year exclusive deal.

The executive also has been credited with expanding or

re-invigorating such lucrative franchises as "Fast & Furious"

and "Jurassic Park."

She sought a deal with low-budget horror shop Blumhouse to

revive Universal Pictures' long tradition of releasing monster

movies. The collaboration has produced such box office hits as

"Halloween" and "Five Nights at Freddy's."

"It was Donna that brought me in," said Blumhouse CEO Jason

Blum. "But it was more than just that. It was Donna who cleared

the path for me at Universal to make low-budget movies."

'CREATIVE LEADER'

The native of the United Kingdom has been recognized for her

impact on the industry. In 2020, she was awarded a Dame of the

British Empire in 2020, an honor that recognized her influence

over popular culture.

"She is actually the business and creative leader of her

generation in regards to creative content companies," said

Creative Artists Agency's co-chairman and chief executive, Bryan

Lourd.

During the height of the pandemic, Universal ended the

90-day exclusive release window movie theaters held for new

releases when it sent "Trolls World Tour" directly into homes.

The studio began making movies available for digital rental or

purchase as soon as three weeks after the theatrical debut.

This strategy has generated more than $1 billion in

ancillary revenue, which allowed the studio to justify

greenlighting films, such best picture nominee "Belfast," that

otherwise would not be financially viable.

As rival Hollywood studios have trimmed their release

slates, Universal and specialty studio Focus have announced a

diverse portfolio of 19 domestic releases for 2024.

"They have really come out of the pandemic the most

aggressively of any of the studios," said Tim Richards, CEO of

Europe's Vue cinema chain.

In June 2023, Langley assumed a broader role as chairman of

NBCUniversal's studio group and as chief content officer,

overseeing content strategy across the media company's film and

television studios.

Langley's picks do not always pay off. One notable flop was

an adaptation of the musical "Cats," which was savaged for

unrealistic-looking digital fur technology.