The Perfect Oppenheimer Sequel Is Officially Happening With Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Rival

The success of Oppenheimer has led to the development of a perfect sequel movie in Nuclear War: A Scenario from one of Christopher Nolan’s rivals. Nolan delivered arguably the biggest movie of 2023 with the release of his J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic. The exploration of the atomic bomb’s creator was a massive box office hit, amassing over $950 million at the box office, and a dominant awards performer, winning seven Oscars. With a film as successful as Oppenheimer, it would be typical for a sequel to come, even though there is no real way for Nolan to continue the story.

J. Robert Oppenheimer’s entire life story may have been covered by Nolan, but that will not stop Hollywood from trying to replicate Oppenheimer‘s success with more movies about atomic bombs and nuclear war. This has already been proven to be true with the announcement that Denis Villeneuve is developing a nuclear war movie based on Annie Jacobson’s book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, for Legendary Entertainment. Based on the potential story and timing of its development, Villeneuve’s Nuclear War is now positioned to be the perfect Oppenheimer sequel.

Nuclear War: A Scenario’s Story Directly Builds On Oppenheimer’s Atomic Bomb

The Movie Explores Nuclear War In The Future

Denis Villeneuve’s new movie Nuclear War: A Scenario will tell a story that directly builds on Oppenheimer at its core. Christopher Nolan’s film explored J. Robert Oppenheimer’s path to creating the atomic bomb and his life immediately after. Oppenheimer‘s ending is based around J. Robert’s warning of the power of the nuclear weapons he created and how dangerous they could be to humanity’s future. Nolan’s film was incapable of showing Oppenheimer’s concerns become a reality, as atomic bombs have not been used since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, even if they still remain in case of a nuclear war.

Nuclear War: A Scenario‘s story will bring Oppenheimer’s worst fears to life. The book is about the beginning of a new nuclear war and what would happen if atomic bombs and nuclear warheads were used again. Jacobson’s nonfiction book creates its story based on information provided by military members and nuclear experts who know about response plans to a nuclear launch. This positions Nuclear War‘s story to follow the events of a nuclear World War III, showing how the weapons that J. Robert Oppenheimer helped create could destroy the world.

Denis Villeneuve’s Nuclear War Could Give J. Robert Oppenheimer A Much Worse Legacy

The Potential Fallout Of His Creation Will Be Shown

The development of Nuclear War also means that the movie could provide an alternate portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s legacy. Oppenheimer tackled the physicist’s legacy by exploring the grey areas of his life, accurately depicting some level of remorse over how the atomic bombs were used but not completely regretting his role in inventing them. This portrayal of Oppenheimer as the “Destroyer Of Worlds” strayed from making him out to be a hero of WWII or a villain for the long-term potential ramifications of his creation. Ultimately, Oppenheimer couldn’t fully explore his legacy based on the events it covers.

Nuclear War could step in and show a worse future for humanity, which is the direct result of Oppenheimer. The film has been described (via Deadline) as “a chilling cautionary tale about where the world might be headed in an age of political volatility at a time when too many countries have nuclear capabilities.” This sets up Denis Villeneuve’s movie to bring about the worst-case scenario of what humanity could use nuclear weapons for. Even though the film would be set after Oppenheimer’s death, the legacy of his life’s work would still be present in a major capacity.

Denis Villeneuve Can Do For Nuclear War What Christopher Nolan Did For Oppenheimer

The Dune Director Can Make Nuclear War A Smart Blockbuster

Tackling a nuclear war movie after Oppenheimer could be seen as a difficult task based on the inevitable comparisons to Christopher Nolan’s movie that will come. However, if there is any person who should be up for the challenge, it’s Denis Villeneuve. He has a history of making spectacularly smart sci-fi films, such as Arrival, and he’s elevated himself to a major blockbuster director with the Dune franchise. His ability to mix spectacle with an emotional storyline and resonate themes should work perfectly with the type of movie Nuclear War could be on paper.

Christopher Nolan brought some of his standard filmmaking traits to Oppenheimer with the non-linear story, black-and-white sequences, and practical set pieces, and the movie benefited greatly from the blockbuster auteur’s direction. Denis Villeneuve should be able to do something similar with Nuclear War when it comes to delivering a high-budget war thriller that also has something to say about the state of the world and humanity. Add in a likely star-studded cast, and Villeneuve’s Nuclear War: A Scenario could have all the makings of an unofficial Oppenheimer sequel.

Source: Deadline