Oppenheimer‘s record-breaking run time has been teased by director Christopher Nolan. The movie, which is his first in the director’s chair since 2020’s Tenet, is his second to be set during the events of World War II, having previously covered a specific rescue operation in 2017’s Dunkirk, which features much of the same cast. Oppenheimer is a biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the theoretical physicist who was instrumental in the Manhattan Project’s development of the atomic bomb.
In their new issue, Total Film sat down with Nolan to discuss his new film ahead of the Oppenheimer release date on July 21. During their conversation Nolan wouldn’t share the film’s exact runtime, but he confirmed that it is the longest film he has ever directed, ahead of 2014’s Interstellar at 2 hours and 49 minutes. He further teased that Oppenheimer is “kissing three hours.” Read his full quote below:
It’s slightly longer than the longest we’ve done. It’s kissing three hours.
Why is Oppenheimer So Long?
Oppenheimer is one of Nolan’s least bombastic movies on paper, so it may seem unusual that it has been given such an expanded run time. It’s set to be longer than his notoriously complicated dream epic Inception, his superhero movies in the Dark Knight trilogy, and his mind-bending time travel thriller Tenet. It’s also going to be nearly twice as long as Dunkirk, his only other film based directly on true events.
However, there are several reasons why the movie might have such a long run time. The first is the Oppenheimer cast, which is jam-packed with huge stars and important character actors. In addition to Murphy, the film’s massive ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Dane DeHaan, Josh Hartnett, Jack Quaid, Kenneth Branagh, Alden Ehrenreich, and over a dozen more recognizable names.
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In order to give each of those talented actors their due, Oppenheimer will have to devote a lot of time just to establishing them properly in the story. The recent Oppenheimer trailer has also teased that, in spite of its more realistic setting, the film will be as tense and powerful as any of Nolan’s more sci-fi-driven epics. That’s a lot of material to pack into one movie, which may account for this unprecedented three-hour cut.
Key Release Dates
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
