Every Christopher Nolan movie comes bearing a stacked ensemble, but the cast for upcoming biographical drama Oppenheimer might just be his most impressive to date.
Cillian Murphy will play Robert J. Oppenheimer, best known as the father of the atomic bomb, in what marks Nolan’s first project outside of Warner Bros. for over 20 years. Universal won a heated bidding war, and as a result the film will play exclusively in theaters for 100 days as per Nolan’s request.
Support comes from Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt as his wife Katherine Oppenheimer Vissering, with Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Rami Malek also signed on, along with nominees Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh. Michael Caine hasn’t been announced yet, but that’s surely only a matter of time.
A leaked production listing per World of Reel has divulged new plot and character details, with Oppenheimer scheduled to begin production in March. Damon is reportedly playing Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project, with RDJ set as Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss.
The plot will follow Oppenheimer during his days at Harvard and Cambridge, before moving to Germany and then California as he became a leader in the field of theoretical physics. Based on the little we know so far, this one is shaping up to be a serious awards season contender after it lands on July 21, 2023.