Nolan signed with Universal because he had previously worked with Donna Langley, chairwoman and chief content officer of the NBCUniversal studio group, on an unsuccessful attempt to make a film version of the UK television series The Prisoner. Langley agreed with Nolan's stance on traditional film exhibition and Universal agreed to finance and distribute Oppenheimer, with production set to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Universal also agreed to Nolan's terms, which included a production budget of $100 million, an equal marketing budget, an exclusive theatrical window ranging from 90 to 120 days, 20 percent of the film's first-dollar gross, and a three-week period both before and after the opening, in which Universal could not release another new film.