Christopher Nolan has dropped a bombshell, quite literally. The revered director and five-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker has debuted the official trailer for his long-awaited epic Oppenheimer. Starring Peaky Blinders lead Cillian Murphy in the titular role, the stunning film will chart the enigmatic theoretical physicist on his quest to redefine the boundaries of man-made destruction.
UPDATE: ‘Oppenheimer’ was released in cinemas on 21 July 2023, the Nolan film lived up to expectations and won 7 Academy Awards in 2024, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score.
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Based on Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning American Prometheus, the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the new film tells the story of the man often credited as the creator of the modern atomic bomb. A theoretical physicist, Oppenheimer led the direction of the Manhattan Project, a World War II undertaking fixated on nuclear weapons that ultimately led to some of modern warfare’s greatest tragedies.
Famously, at the Trinity Test in New Mexico in 1945, where the first atomic bomb was successfully detonated, Oppenheimer uttered the words that have forever etched him in history – “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”.
One of the most influential human beings to ever walk the face of the earth, Oppenheimer’s unique story of conflict and tragedy has traditionally eluded Hollywood, however, The Dark Knight filmmaker Christopher Nolan revealed he was willing to take up the challenge. In October last year, the filmmaker confirmed the project was underway and that he was bringing frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy along for the ride. Less than one year on, Nolan has revealed a first look at the former Tommy Shelby actor in action and it must be said, it looks incredible.
“The world is changing, reforming. This is your moment,”
In trademark style, Nolan delivered the trailer in a uniquely cinematic fashion, opening with a foreboding sound that pierced through the bleak visuals. From there, it was a captivating journey into fear, directed by the ominous warnings of Emily Blunt’s Katherine ‘Kitty’ Oppenheimer and Matt Damon’s Leslie Groves.
In the clip, Murphy can be seen preparing Oppenheimer’s signature trilby hat with meticulous precision, a symbol of the physicist’s penchant for preparation. However, tensions rise throughout the teaser, as the sound of a locomotive slowly builds while a series of countdown clocks splash onto the screen with menacing regularity, detailing the film’s penultimate release date. As stress levels hit fever pitch, Nolan shudders the screen with a dazzling display of fire and brimstone, alluding to the tragedy that will inevitably ensue.
“How can this man, who sees so much, be so blind?”
For fans, the new Oppenheimer trailer teases the long-awaited introduction of a new cinematic masterpiece. Set to be released exclusively in cinemas with 70mm, 35mm and IMAX print engagements, Christopher Nolan’s latest effort aims to continue a stellar run of theatrical experiences. From Inception to Interstellar, the filmmaker has bucked the trend of flat, formulaic releases and instead, crafted a catalogue of culturally significant work.
Oppenheimer may very well be his biggest yet, arriving with a reported USD$100 million budget and a swathe of Hollywood A-listers on hand to deliver the final product. The new flick will see Cillian Murphy joined by Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Hartnett, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Dane DeHaan and Kenneth Branagh. Remarkably, Oscar-winner Gary Oldman even revealed he will be making a cameo, with fellow Academy Award favourite Casey Affleck spotted on set recently.
With a bevy of talent at his disposal and perhaps the most important story of his career in the works, Nolan has his eyes firmly set on a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience. Judging by the first Oppenheimer trailer, we may well be getting it. Oppenheimer was released in cinemas on 21 July 2023. You can watch the first official teaser above.
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