Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Release Date, Cast, Trailer and More
"Box office bomb" is about to get a whole new meaning.
Christopher Nolan is returning to theaters next summer with his historical film Oppenheimer. Based on the book American Prometheus, the movie tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his work on the atomic bomb. As is often the case with Nolan's movies, the film will include scenes shot with IMAX cameras, including black and white footage.
The film is also notable for being the first to be released after Nolan cut ties with Warner Brothers for the studio's decision to release movies simultaneously in theaters and on streaming during the pandemic. Here's everything to know about Oppenheimer movie, including the Oppenheimer release date, trailer and more.
Universal Pictures
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When is the Oppenheimer release date?
Oppenheimer will release to theaters on July 21, 2023. It does not yet have a streaming or home video release date.
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Who is in the Oppenheimer cast?
The Oppenheimer cast includes:
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
Universal Pictures
Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. The film's director, Christopher Nolan, has worked with Murphy on multiple projects and called him "one of the great actors… of all time."
Emily Blunt as Katherine Oppenheimer
Universal Pictures
Emily Blunt plays Katherine Oppenheimer. Before marrying the titular Oppenheimer, Katherine was a biologist, botanist, and member of the Communist Party of America.
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Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss
Universal Pictures
Robert Downey Jr. is Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Strauss was responsible for having Oppenheimer's security clearance revoked in the mid '50s.
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Matt Damon as Leslie Groves
Matt Damon stars as Leslie Groves, a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. He was in charge of the Manhattan Project and selected the sites where test bombs would be exploded.
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Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock
Florence Pugh stars as Jean Tatlock in Oppenheimer. Another member of the Communist Party of the United States, Tatlock had a romantic relationship with Oppenheimer and was placed under FBI surveillance.
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Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence
Josh Hartnett is Ernest Lawrence, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939. He worked on the Manhattan Project and was a crucial member in the development of the bomb.
Michael Angarano as Robert Serber
Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber, another physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. While Oppenheimer is referred to as the father of the atomic bomb, Serber is often nicknamed the bomb's midwife.
Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman
Gary Oldman stars as President Harry S. Truman in Oppenheimer, the commander-in-chief who decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.
Gustaf Skarsg?rd as Hans Bethe
Gustaf Skarsg?rd is Hans Bethe, a German-American theoretical physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb.
James Remar as Henry Stimson
James Remar plays Secretary of State Henry Stimson in Oppenheimer.
Other cast members whose roles haven't yet been revealed include Dane DeHaan, Alex Wolff, Tony Goldwyn, Casey Affleck, Olivia Thirlby, Jack Quaid, Benny Safdie, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Rami Malek, David Dastmalchian, Kenneth Branagh and Matthias Schweigh?fer.
Is Oppenheimer a sequel to Tenet?
Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan's first movie since Tenet, which was released in August 2020. The film is not a sequel, however, and is a historical film about J. Robert Oppenheimer.
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Is Oppenheimer black and white?
Oppenheimer will include black-and-white footage. The film will have some sequences in black and white, while the bulk of the movie will be in color.
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Was an actual nuke used for Oppenheimer?
During a conversation with Total Film, Christopher Nolan stated that Oppenheimer's production had recreated the Trinity Test explosion without the use the CGI. The Trinity Test was the first-ever explosion of a nuclear bomb and took place in the Jornada del Muerto desert in New Mexico.
What is Oppenheimer about?
Oppenheimer is a historical movie about J. Robert Oppenheimer. The story will focus on his contribution to the development of the atomic bomb.
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Why is Oppenheimer important?
Oppenheimer as a film's importance is obviously subjective. But the importance of Oppenheimer the scientist cannot be overstated: As father of the atomic bomb, he changed history and warfare forever. The threat and shadow of nuclear war is now pervasive, especially given Russia's precarious relationship with Ukraine and NATO—aside from the obvious and more immediate impacts that nuclear war had on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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What is Oppenheimer based on?
Oppenheimer is based on the life J. Robert Oppenheimer. It will focus on his work during the Manhattan Project that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, as well as the moral dilemmas that came with it.
Is there an Oppenheimer teaser?
A teaser announcement for Oppenheimer dropped in July 2022, a year before the movie's scheduled release date.
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Is there an Oppenheimer trailer?
The first teaser trailer for Oppenheimer was released on Dec. 18, 2022. The teaser features ominous footage of fire cut in with footage of men working on a bomb. Cillian Murphy narrates the trailer as the titular Oppenheimer and makes references to how what he's doing must be done.
Will Einstein be in the Oppenheimer movie?
So far there is no indication that Albert Einstein will be part of the Oppenheimer movie. That said, a lot of the stars' roles in the movie so far have been kept under wraps, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Is Harry Styles in Oppenheimer?
While Harry Styles had a star turn in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, he is not in the cast of Oppenheimer.
What is the Oppenheimer runtime?
Oppenheimer is two hours and 30 minutes long.
Who is J. Robert Oppenheimer?
J. Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist who was born in 1904. He is most famous for being the wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory and is often referred to as the father of the atomic bomb.
Is Oppenheimer on streaming?
Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released exclusively to theaters on July 21, 2023. It does not yet have a streaming release date, and likely won't come to any platforms until it has finished its theatrical run. Because it's released by Universal Pictures, it will likely land on Peacock following its theatrical window.