Cillian Murphy will play the leading role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and the biographical drama is already proving Murphy to be an exceptional choice of casting. J. Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist that is commonly credited as being the “father of the atomic bomb.” The film is based on American Prometheus, a biography by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It will be Nolan’s first biopic after his script for a film on Howard Hughes was pipped to production by Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator.
Nolan and Murphy are frequent collaborators, but Oppenheimer marks the actor’s first casting in the leading role of a Nolan film. Murphy had auditioned for the lead in Batman Begins but was instead cast as Dr. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow) for the duration of Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. Murphy played a supporting role for Nolan twice more in Inception and Dunkirk, the latter of which credits his character as “Shivering Soldier.” Murphy’s lead in Oppenheimer will be supported by a cast that includes Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.
Murphy’s portrayal of Tommy Shelby in the BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders has shown him flourishing in a leading role and capable of providing great depth to an enigmatic character. He seems an appropriate choice for Nolan’s current project due to both his acting prowess and his physical similarity to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Indeed, an initial image for Oppenheimer has now been released, truly emphasizing just how perfect Murphy is for the role.
The black and white photograph, reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s nuclear conflict satire Dr. Strangelove, shows Murphy’s Oppenheimer staring straight into the camera. Murphy has recreated Oppenheimer’s intense gaze and somewhat pained expression, proving that he is the perfect choice for the role beyond simply his similarity in appearance. The image is evocative of photography by Philippe Halsman (via Magnum Photos), who captured the intricacy of the real-life Oppenheimer, and it shows Murphy remarkably imitating the physicist’s demeanor – even in a still photograph.
Oppenheimer is expected to release in 2023, and the early indication is that it could bear similarity to the critically acclaimed Dunkirk, a film steeped in history and distinct from Nolan’s frequent forays into science fiction. Nolan’s construction of a biopic should prove an intriguing project considering his distinct narrative structures and his evocative emphasis on the concept of time. However, it is Cillian Murphy’s starring role in the film that already looks set to be a prominent element of the success of Oppenheimer.
Key Release Dates
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
