Christopher Nolan’s new film, Oppenheimer, tells the story of one of the giant figures of the 20th century. Genius physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was known as the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ for his role in the Manhattan Project during World War II. But he’s far from a straightforward figure.
For Oppenheimer, Nolan reteams with long-time collaborator Cillian Murphy, who takes the lead after five previous supporting roles in Nolan movies. Emily Blunt co-stars as Robert’s wife, Kitty, and the frankly staggering ensemble also includes Matt Damon as army officer and Manhattan Project director Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as US Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss, and Florence Pugh as psychiatrist and writer Jean Tatlock.
Oppenheimer is on the cover of the new issue of Total Film magazine (on sale Thursday, May 25), and inside there’s an in-depth feature featuring exclusive interviews with Nolan, Murphy, Blunt, and more, plus a sound mix visit as the finishing touches are being put on the film in post-production.
Here you can take an exclusive look at Murphy and Damon (above), as well as two further new images below, one featuring Murphy’s Oppenheimer and his iconic silhouette, and a behind-the-scenes shot of Nolan working with regular cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema:
In the Nolan tradition, Oppenheimer is shot on IMAX and large-format 65mm, and for the first time, some sequences will feature black-and-white IMAX photography.
Nolan also has a history of complicated, paradoxical protagonists, but, he says, Oppenheimer is the most extreme example of that yet. As detailed in American Prometheus, the book by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin on which the film is based, Oppie (as he was known to friends) was a brilliant scientist who became extremely morally conflicted about the power that he helped unleash. His post-war life was also dogged by a security hearing during the height of McCarthyism.
Just don’t expect a straightforward historical biopic. Murphy tells Total Film, “there are elements of thriller in it, and it has that epic quality,” while Blunt calls it “a pulse-racing thriller, a big event movie, it’s an overwhelming experience".
Oppenheimer opens in cinemas on July 21. For much more on the film, check out the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, May 25. Check out the covers below:
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