2023 is looking like it will be a great year in film, especially with some heavy-hitting filmmakers releasing some of their most anticipated work yet. One of those filmmakers is Christopher Nolan, the mind behind the Dark Knight trilogy as well as movies like Inception and Interstellar. In 2023, Nolan will be releasing his upcoming biopic, Oppenheimer.
As the title suggests, the movie will center on nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known for his work on the atomic bomb during World War II. The movie will likely be an Oscar contender heading into 2024 after it premieres in the summer of 2023. Movie fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about Oppenheimer, but these ones are especially compelling.
8 The Triumphant Return Of Christopher Nolan
As previously mentioned, Oppenheimer will be the latest movie by Nolan, one of the most acclaimed directors of the modern era. The director has made many fan-favorite movies in the past few years, which are often cinematic and feature high production values. In fact, Oppenheimer will be Nolan's second movie set during World War II, following 2017's Dunkirk.
Nolan also has a large chunk of moviegoing audiences to win back after his last movie, Tenet. Although critics praised Nolan's direction, the movie's story garnered a lot of criticism. Though it nevertheless won Best Visual Effects at the 2021 Oscars, Nolan arguably has a lot to make up for with this latest movie on the storytelling front.
7 Nolan Reunites With Cillian Murphy
Oppenheimer will also see Nolan reuniting with frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy. The two previously worked together on Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk. However, Murphy will be playing the titular role in Oppenheimer, which, by the looks of its first trailers, could be a career-defining role for the accomplished Irish actor.
The role of J. Robert Oppenheimer is a pretty complex one, given the character's historical significance. It's also widely known that Oppenheimer struggled with the guilt of having been responsible for creating the atomic bomb after it was used to obliterate Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Odds are, Murphy will be leaving it all on screen for this specific movie.
6 An Impressive Cast Assembles
The supporting cast of Oppenheimer may be one of the most impressive that a movie has ever had. Emily Blunt will be playing Oppenheimer's wife, with other major supporting roles going to big-name stars including Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, and Benny Safdie. What's most surprising is all the movie stars that haven't even been mentioned.
Film legends like Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, and Gary Oldman are also part of the cast, with Oldman portraying U.S. President Harry Truman. More recent stars, like Rami Malek, Alex Wolff, and Alden Ehrenreich are also on board. Needless to say, watching Oppenheimer may become its own game of "Name That Celebrity."
5 The Ugly Side Of American History Revealed
Oppenheimer threatens to tell a pretty depressing story when it comes to U.S. history. Most schools gloss over the inhumane tragedy that was the bombing of Japan in 1945. Oftentimes, Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists are viewed as heroic for their actions following the Japanese attack on American troops at Pearl Harbor.
However, given Oppenheimer's feelings regarding his own actions, however, it's likely the movie will be more sympathetic to the innocent lives that were lost as a result of his discoveries. Furthermore, the continued existence of nuclear weapons wielded by world powers will likely be a topic of conversation following the movie's premiere.
4 Practical Effects Were Used Over CGI
One of the most anticipated moments that Oppenheimer promises to depict is the Trinity nuclear test in New Mexico in 1945. It was a historic moment for the Manhattan Project, as their test explosion in the Jornada del Muerto desert equaled the energy of 25 kilotons of TNT, which was even felt by some citizens of New Mexico.
In December of 2022, Media publications ran wild with the story that Christopher Nolan claimed the production used real explosions to replicate the Trinity test. Some were inclined to make memes, while others marveled at the technical capability it must've taken to recreate such a devastating explosion using practical effects over rendering a bomb explosion with CGI.
3 One Of The Best Movie Composers Is On Board
As if Oppenheimer didn't have enough going for it, Christopher Nolan has also recruited Ludwig Goransson to score the movie. Goransson, in just a few short years, has garnered quite a reputation in filmmaking for his original and innovative scores. Some of his best work includes Black Panther, The Mandalorian, and Nolan's own movie, Tenet.
Goransson is also notable in the music industry for his production work with Childish Gambino, the musical moniker of actor and writer Donald Glover. At only 38 years old, Goransson already has three Grammys and an Oscar under his belt. Needless to say, his work on Oppenheimer may lead to even more acclaim for the talented composer.
2 A Movie Made To Be Seen In IMAX
Oppenheimer is significant for Nolan as it's his first movie since 2000 to not be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. This is due to a conflict Nolan had with the production company, which promised to release their 2021 movies in both theaters and HBO Max simultaneously due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Nolan insisted on a theatrical run for Oppenheimer.
Christopher Nolan's desire for the movie to be seen in theaters is not a light request, either. The movie was predominantly shot in 65mm, a screen resolution that's perfect for ginormous screens. Suffice it to say, but audience members who are able to snag IMAX tickets for Oppenheimer will be in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience come July 2022.
1 Releasing The Same Day As Another Soon-To-Be Classic
One aspect of the impending release of Oppenheimer is based on a coincidence regarding its release date. As of January 2022, Oppenheimer is set to release in theaters on the same day as Greta Gerwig's Barbie. This Margot Robbie-led movie has its own hype surrounding it, with many actors involved calling it one of the best scripts they've ever read.
Furthermore, many Internet users have made memes parodying the idea that Nolan's dark and dreadful Oppenheimer will be releasing the same day as Gerwig's bright and colorful Barbie movie. Hopefully, cinema fans will have enough of a stomach for popcorn to plan a double feature of the two movies on opening weekend.