(Updated 07/17/2023)
Christopher Nolan makes movies grounded in such a specific reality that it seems like he has made more "true story" movies than he has. In actuality, there's only one: DUNKIRK. (Yes, THE PRESTIGE does feature a real character, Nikola Tesla, played by David Bowie, but that movie is not a true story.) Now, Nolan's follow-up to TENET is very much steeped in a dark reality.
OPPENHEIMER stars Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer, commonly known as the father of the atomic bomb. There's a spectacular supporting cast, and the trailers reveal intense visualizations of the first bomb tests. There's a new trailer to give you more of a sense of what OPPENHEIMER looks like. Let’s get into all the details about Nolan‘s new movie.
Oppenheimer Will Open Exclusively in Movie Theatres
Universal Pictures will release OPPENHEIMER exclusively in movie theatres on July 21. This is Nolan's first movie with Universal following his break with Warner Bros. In fact, it's his first movie not made with Warner Bros. since MEMENTO.
OPPENHEIMER is also Nolan's first R-rated movie since his original outing with Warner Bros., the remake of INSOMNIA.
Watch the Latest Oppenheimer Trailer
The new OPPENHEIMER trailer is deeply foreboding. There's no question about where the movie stands when it comes to talking about whether or not the atomic bomb was a beneficial invention. But was it a necessary one? Any sense of optimism is balanced by a dawning awareness of the power that is unleashed as the bomb is completed.
Beyond that question there's the sense that Nolan is working in a different mode than usual. His movies are always big, even overwhelming experiences. This footage feels different. It's almost more akin to THERE WILL BE BLOOD than any of Nolan's movies, in the way Cillian Murphy's face is photographed and the intense feeling of impending doom.
An Oppenheimer Overview
He's best known for his work with the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb and led to the destruction of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is difficult to escape a legacy in which his work ended the war with Japan but at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives.
Following the first successful atomic bomb test in Nevada in 1945, Oppenheimer referenced a quote from the "Bhagavad Gita," "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Months later, in light of the destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that quote
Oppenheimer was a scientist interested in many disciplines, including nuclear physics, astrophysics, and biophysics. He worked on the paper which first promoted an understanding of black holes. His work as part of the Manhattan Project was not generally known until after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after which he became one of the most prominent public faces representing nuclear weapons. After the war, he did significant work to develop regulations for nuclear power and weapons.
Oppenheimer Is Based on a Book
The source material for Nolan's new movie is "American Prometheus," a biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The book was researched for decades by Sherwin and finally released in 2005. In 2006, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. The tome is a definitive and comprehensive look at Oppenheimer's life, character, and work.
Naturally, we expect some differences between the book and the movie. Nolan wrote the screenplay himself, and we are also interested to see how Oppenheimer's story is filtered through Nolan's own worldview.
The Cast of Oppenheimer
In addition to Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt appears as Katherine Oppenheimer, and Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and Benny Safdie have big roles, too.
Then there's everyone else: Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Michael Angarano, Kenneth Branagh (of course), David Dastmalchian, Jason Clarke, Louise Lombard, Scott Grimes, James D'Arcy, Josh Peck, Emma Dumont, Alex Wolff, Tony Goldwyn, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Gary Oldman, Josh Zuckerman, Olivia Thirlby, and Casey Affleck.
Is Michael Caine in Oppenheimer?
Attentive readers might notice one missing name in the list above, however: Michael Caine. There's always the chance that he will be added to the call sheet, but at this point, Michael Caine has not been announced as part of the OPPENHEIMER cast. That means this might be Nolan's first movie since INSOMNIA without Michael Caine!
OPPENHEIMER opens on July 21.
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.