The war-time biopic based on the 'father of the atomic bomb' hits screens in July
Preparing for the release of his upcoming biographical thriller movie, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan names J. Robert Oppenheimer “the most important man who ever lived”.
Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory that designed the nuclear bombs as part of The Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was a World War II undertaking involving the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Oppenheimer is often referred to as the ‘father of the atomic bomb’.
Nolan sat down with Wired to talk about his new film, which focuses on Oppenheimer in the lead-up to the first atomic bomb, which he called “the most dramatic moment in history.” Oppenheimer is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus, written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
After nearly twenty years, Nolan broke off his long-term partnership with Warner Bros. The reason for the split was Warner Bros. decision to debut their entire 2021 slate on streaming service HBO Max, simultaneous to any theatrical releases.
A bidding war ensued between major Hollywood studios to secure the rights to Nolan’s next movie, with Universal Pictures coming out on top. With new leadership at Warner Bros. and no contracts in place for Nolan's next film after Oppenheimer, it's all up in the air where he may go next.
The film stars frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, Inception), as the titular physicist Oppenheimer. The film is told from the perspective of Murphy’s Oppenheimer as “the eyes of the audience”, with a screenplay written in the first person to ensure that the bulk of the storytelling happens through the lens of his experience.
Joining Murphy is a cast of thousands, with Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a key player in the development of nuclear weapons. Matt Damon stars as Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, with Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Benny Safide as Edward Teller and Michael Angarano as Robert Serber. Academy Award winner Rami Malek is playing a scientist in the film, but it’s undisclosed at this point who his character is. Nolan favourites Kenneth Branagh and Gary Oldman are also joining the star-studded cast in undisclosed roles.
Nolan spoke about the reception from early screenings of the film, saying that the film leaves some people “absolutely devastated.” With subject matter that hits so close to him, especially with the continued threat of nuclear weapons in recent times, there is a fear that lingers around the film. In this character-driven biopic however, Nolan assures that “the love of the characters, the love of the relationships, is as strong as I’ve ever done.”
True to form, Nolan’s upcoming film is rife with complicated storylines and ethical dilemmas. “There are no easy answers in [Oppenheimer's] story” said Nolan, “There are just difficult questions, and that’s what makes the story so compelling.” Drawing similarities between the endings of Oppenheimer and Inception, the director felt it vital to leave questions for the audience to ponder at the end of the film in order to encourage ongoing discussion.
Oppenheimer is scheduled for release on July 21. The movie is set for a box office battle against Greta Gerwig’s Barbie to nab the number one spot on the opening weekend.