The Universal project will center on theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who will be played by longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy, and his involvement with the creation of the atom bomb. Along with Murphy, the new casting additions will also be joining big names like Robert Downey Jr., Jungle Cruise star Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon.

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The Hollywood Reporter learned that Pugh will play Jean Tatlock, a member of the Communist Party of the United States who had an affair with Oppenheimer, while Safdie is set to portray Hungarian physicist Edward Teller, the man involved with the Manhattan Project and regarded as the father of the hydrogen bomb. Malek will also play another scientist in an undisclosed role. Now getting ready to work with one of Hollywood’s top filmmakers in Nolan, this continues Pugh’s, Malek’s, and Safdie’s hot streaks. Pugh, who had her breakout role with 2019’s Midsommar, would go on to star in other acclaimed works like Little Women while also becoming a fan favorite in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow (and now already in Disney Plus’ Hawkeye).

Malek, after winning the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, would go on to star in other big projects like this year’s No Time to Die. Safdie made a name for himself co-directing critically acclaimed indie films like Good Time and Uncut Gems with his brother, Josh Safdie, while also increasing his acting credits by starring in projects like Pieces of a Woman, Licorice Pizza, and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Combining these rising talents with veterans like Damon and Murphy will no doubt make the film an early contender for that year’s award season.

Oppenheimer will mark Nolan’s return to the history of World War ll after his work on Dunkirk, though this new project will take place in America rather than in France. Universal Pictures will be releasing the upcoming biopic after Nolan’s departure from Warner Bros. Nolan’s most recent film, Tenet, was released by Warner Bros. in August 2020 during the height of the pandemic, when moviegoers were still uncertain about the safety of movie theatres and a vaccine was not yet available. Tenet’s poor performance at the box office combined with the director’s frustration with Warner Bros.’ new hybrid model of having its 2021 films premiere on the HBO MAX streaming service simultaneously with their theatrical release ultimately ended the relationship between the two.

Now, working with a studio that is set to meet his demands, Nolan is ready to return to the big screen to deliver something truly spectacular with an even more impressive cast. It is reported that Nolan will reunite with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema to shoot in 65mm IMAX, the format Nolan has been using on all of his films since The Dark Knight, while composer Ludwig Göransson (who worked with Nolan for the first time on Tenet, filling in for Nolan’s long time collaborator Hans Zimmer) will produce the score. Nolan is also set to write the film, while Emma Thomas, Nolan’s creative partner and wife, will produce with Charles Roven. Oppenheimer is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer is set to release on July 21st, 2023.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Y.M. Cinema