Oppenheimer star Robert Downey Jr. explains why filming Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic was so special. Having brought arguably the most memorable cinematic depiction of Batman to screens with his Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan next tackles a complex figure from actual history, telling the story of atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy stars in Nolan’s highly-anticipated Oppenheimer as Oppenheimer himself, alongside a great cast that includes Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek and the aforementioned Downey.
Nolan of course is known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to shooting his films in IMAX, and the IMAX experience was definitely real for the Oppenheimer cast, including Downey. Appearing in an IMAX-focused behind-the-scenes featurette ahead of the Oppenheimer release, Downey spoke about how Nolan’s approach to shooting made being in the film particularly special. Check out what Downey had to say in the space below (around 1:38 of the clip):
I was sitting in the back of a ‘47 Packard with an IMAX mag on my lap trying to get this driving shot and I just felt like I went back to some Origins of Great Cinema School. Because you know these lenses are coming at you and they’re this close and it wakes you up.
Oppenheimer’s Cast Has Been Effusive In Their Praise Of Nolan
Downey isn’t the only one to speak glowingly of the experience of working on Oppenheimer. His co-star Pugh also talked about the amazing atmosphere on the movie’s set, telling BBC Radio 1 back in April:
“Working with Christopher Nolan was quite possibly one of the most thrilling experiences in a different way. Partly because he works with professionals. He is a professional. But his dedication to the craft of filmmaking and old filmmaking is just magical to watch. To just watch every single crew member on that set work so hard for him, to get his approval. And not like in a weird way, but like everybody knows who they’re working for and everybody’s proud of being there.”
Alden Ehrenreich is another Oppenheimer star who has had nothing but great things to say about his experience on-set with Nolan and his crew, telling THR it was “just terrific” and gushing “It’s a different quality.” Then there’s Oppenheimer actor Murphy, who in an interview with Rolling Stone UK praised Nolan’s script for the 3-hour biopic, calling it “the best script I ever read.”
The admiration doesn’t only go one way when it comes to the director of Oppenheimer and his cast. Back in 2022, Nolan threw some praise back in the direction of star Downey Jr., telling Total Film (via GamesRadar), “Watching him lose himself in that performance, and completely lose himself in a character in this way, was just an incredible reminder of just what an amazing actor he is.” It’s yet to be seen whether audiences will embrace Oppenheimer themselves, as the movie gets set to go up against Barbie in a much-hyped box office showdown. But if the words of cast and director mean anything, Oppenheimer should be a truly memorable and immersive experience.
Key Release Dates
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
