Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt reveal where the cast went after walking out of the film’s premiere in solidarity with the actors’ strike. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the historical drama was released last summer, chronicling the life and career of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. While the film ended up playing remarkably well with audiences, its theatrical rollout experienced a bit of a hiccup in early July when the onset of the SAG-AFTRA strike saw stars like Murphy, Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and more, walk out of the film’s premiere.
In a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Murphy, Blunt, and Downey Jr. reflect on the Oppenheimer premiere walk-out.
Murphy and Blunt specifically touch on where the cast went after leaving the theater, revealing they had a great time at a local bar. Check out comments from Murphy and Blunt below:
Cillian Murphy: “In true Irish fashion, I went to the bar straight away.”
Emily Blunt: “We went to the bar in solidarity. A few of us went. Even this one (points at Robert Downey Jr.) went. We stayed til 4 am.”
The SAG Strike Didn’t Affect Oppenheimer
Why Christopher Nolan’s Movie Became A Big Success Anyway
While actors, of course, cannot work on union productions while on strike, they also can’t promote these films. Movies rely on movie stars to reach audiences, and the Oppenheimer cast is one of the film’s greatest strengths. In addition to Murphy, Blunt, and Downey Jr., the movie also features performances from Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Jason Clarke, and Kenneth Branagh, among others, all recognizable faces.
Although the SAG-AFTRA strike ran from July 14 to November 9, Oppeneheimer became a major box office success during this time. The movie earned more than $953 million worldwide, a truly remarkable feat given its three-hour runtime, R rating, and genre. The Barbenheimer phenomenon, of course, is a major reason for the film’s success, with Oppenheimer‘s shared release date with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie ultimately getting audiences to theaters for both in a big way.
The Oppenheimer reviews from critics were also glowing, and positive word-of-mouth helped the Nolan film remain popular over many months. Clearly, Nolan’s historical drama didn’t need actor promotion to be successful, but it’s interesting to imagine how much more successful it may have been had all of the film’s stars been able to hit the talk show and podcast circuit, and make posts on social media about it. Evidently, however, the Oppenheimer cast enjoyed having a break from their promotional duties, at least on premiere day.
Oppenheimer
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Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Studio(s)
- Syncopy Inc. , Atlas Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh
- Runtime
- 150 Minutes
- Budget
- $100 Million
