The use of atomic bombs (or its threat thereof) has turned the very direction of big wars. Many movies – from historical to action/adventure – have emphasized the destructive power of the A-bomb, leaving the viewers stunned. Now industry hotshot Christopher Nolan is going to make a biographical film about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited as the “father of the atomic bomb.” This will be Nolan’s 12th feature film overall.

The great physicist Oppenheimer’s life is going to become a movie. His life, career, the tumultuous history he was a part of – all led to the birth of the first atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer movie casting

After his latest success Tenet, Nolan is going to make his first-ever biopic. He has flirted with the idea previously in The Prestige with a memorable performance from David Bowie as the 19th-century inventor Nikola Tesla. However, Tesla remained firmly as a supporting character in that sci-fi period drama. Now, for the reel version of Oppenheimer, Nolan-regular Cillian Murphy has been signed up. It has been confirmed that the publicity-averse star is to take on the pioneer’s role in Nolan’s movie. Murphy has previously worked with Nolan on various projects. Although his roles in Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk were significant (and we all enjoyed his cameos in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), this is his first title role in a Nolan movie.

Another star who has signed up is the ever-dependable Emily Blunt. This will be her first movie with Nolan. Starting with an offbeat career line, Blunt has charted quite a career with high-profile works like Edge of Tomorrow and Sicario, as well as notable movies like Mary Poppins Returns, Jungle Cruise, and A Quiet Place. She will play the role of Oppenheimer’s wife, Katherine, in this one.

Other notable crew members are Hoyte Van Hoytema as director of photography, who has worked alongside Nolan in Tenet, Dunkirk, and Interstellar. In addition, editor Jennifer Lame and composer Ludwig Goranssom both have previously worked on Tenet.

Release Date

The film will go into production in 2022, with Emma Thomas as the producer of this million-dollar project. The film will tentatively release on July 21, 2023, worldwide.

Oppenheimer is based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Jointly written by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin. Even though Oppenheimer had an important role in the creation of atomic bombs, he feared it very much. He feared the devilishly destructive power of the bomb and hoped that once the world came to see this invention, they will oppose future wars. That did not happen, to say the least. So when it came to the question of the hydrogen bomb, he naturally opposed it.

Extras

The film is likely to be a discourse highlighting the destructive potential of such scientific milestones. Ostensibly it may have been used to “bring peace,” but the mere thought is enough to shake the foundations of humanity. Which it did, twice, with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in that fateful August of 1945. The film will heavily reference World War II, as the war witnessed the tremendous self-destructive sides of human civilizations. An era that showcased the resilience and enduring violence of both human beings and nuclear weapons. Nuclear arsenal is a powerful deterrent, but when it comes to actual usage it is a despicable abomination.

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.

J Robert Oppenheimer, quote from the Bhagvad-Gita