Universal Pictures has released the first images from Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
The photos are included in TotalFilm's upcoming preview of 2023's movies. Provided is the first look of Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who headed the Manhattan Project during World War II and is regarded as the father of the atomic bomb. Starring opposite Murphy are Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife Kitty and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, the head of the Atomic Energy Commission who clashed with Oppenheimer in the post-war years. The photos also show Nolan himself working behind the camera alongside his longtime cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.
Based on American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer will tell the story of how the titular physicist developed the world's first nuclear weapons and was later accused of being a subversive after arguing against their proliferation. Other members of the star-studded cast include Matt Damon, Florence Pugh and Rami Malek. Academy Award-winner Ludwig Göransson will provide the score.
Nolan Takes Oppenheimer Elsewhere
Oppenheimer will mark the first time since 2000's Memento that a Nolan film won't be distributed by Warner Bros. His previous film, 2020's Tenet, was delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually released theatrically in August of that year. Though the film was a box-office success, particularly overseas, it fell short of expectations for a pre-pandemic turnout. Nolan would later speak out against Warner's decision to release all of its 2021 features simultaneously to HBO Max, criticizing the studio for not consulting with creators over the decision and expressing concern over how the move would affect the theater-going experience.
Nolan's previous collaborations with Murphy include the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and the director's 2017 World War II-era blockbuster, Dunkirk. Murphy said in an interview with The Guardian that in preparation for the role, he did "an awful lot of reading. I'm interested in the man and what [inventing the atomic bomb] does to the individual. The mechanics of it, that’s not really for me -- I don't have the intellectual capability to understand them, but these contradictory characters are fascinating." He compared the role to another notable character of his, Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders, "because we all walk around with these contradictory ideas coexisting in our heads."
Oppenheimer releases in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Source: TotalFilm via GamesRadar, The Guardian