After successfully wooing Christopher Nolan away from his home studio Warner Bros, Universal now has the challenge to keep the relationship going. On Tuesday, it debuted the first look of the filmmaker’s new feature, Oppenheimer, which began production this week.
Alongside the first-look image of Cillian Murphy as the titular theoretical physicist, popularly known as the ‘Father of the Atomic Bomb’, the studio also made some new casting announcements. Murphy, who has worked with Nolan on The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk, will be joined by Kenneth Branagh (who has worked with Nolan on Tenet and Dunkirk), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and David Krumholtz (The Judge).
Previously announced cast members include Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Benny Safdie and more.
The new photo–a monochrome portrait–shows Murphy’s Oppenheimer wearing a hat, with a cigarette between his lips. Nolan will reunite with Tenet composer Ludwig Goransson, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and editor Jennifer Lame.
As a part of his move from WB to Universal, Nolan made unprecedented demands. He reportedly asked for a $100 million production budget, equal spend on publicity, final cut, 20% of first-dollar gross–which means that he will get 20% of what the film makes at the box office, regardless of whether or not it turns a profit. He also demanded a three-week blackout before and after the film’s release, where Universal cannot release any other movie, and a guaranteed 100-day theatrical run. He is, of course, shooting in his preferred IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film. Oppenheimer will reportedly feature segments filmed in black and white IMAX.
The film is slated to release in July 2023–Nolan’s preferred release window. According to a Variety report, it will need to make at least $400 million worldwide to break-even.