It feels as if everyone in Hollywood is being cast in Christopher Nolan's upcoming feature film, Oppenheimer, as Pearl Harbor actor Josh Hartnett is now set to join the impressive ensemble.
The Universal project will center on theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who will be played by longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy, and his involvement with the invention of the atom bomb. Recent reports indicate that Oppenheimer will begin filming this coming March. Oppenheimer is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
While Hartnett's role in the film is kept under wraps, as reported by Deadline, he will be starring alongside other big cast names like Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, and Rami Malek. Downey Jr., Damon, and Blunt are set to play Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss, Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, and wife Katherine Oppenheimer Vissering, respectively. Meanwhile, Pugh and Safdie will tap into characters like Communist Party member Jean Tatlock and Hungarian Physicist Edward Teller. Rami Malek's role is still unknown.
Although Hartnett may not be the biggest name in Hollywood, he is certainly no stranger to holding his ground in epic blockbusters. The actor had his breakthrough in Michael Bay's 2001 World War II epic Pearl Harbor before starring in Ridley Scott's critically acclaimed Black Hawk Down later that same year. On top of his blockbuster experience, Hartnett also has some history with Nolan, as he auditioned for the role of Batman for Nolan's Batman Begins reboot (the role would eventually go to Christian Bale). With both Hartnett and Nolan returning to the events of World War II, their first time working together will no doubt be an exciting one that will hopefully lead to many more collaborations on future projects.
After Tenet's underwhelming performance at the box office (largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Nolan's Oppenheimer looks to rack up big numbers and become a contender during awards season, and judging by the director's past work and the cast involved, it looks like it will do just that. Nolan is set to write the film, while Emma Thomas, Nolan's creative partner and wife, will produce with Charles Roven.
Nolan will also reunite with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who worked with Nolan on Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. Composer Ludwig Göransson, who worked with Nolan for the first time on Tenet, filling in for Nolan's long time collaborator Hans Zimmer, will produce the score.
Oppenheimer is set to release in theatres on July 21, 2023.
Source: Deadline