“Oppenheimer,” the upcoming masterclass from Christopher Nolan, is increasingly revealed in a brand new trailer. Discover everything you need to know about this biopic that already promises to be explosive.

Christopher Nolan surely needs an introduction for only some lovers of the seventh art. And for a good reason, the 52-year-old English director is behind some of the biggest box office successes, including “The Dark Knight” trilogy with Christian Bale as Gotham’s vigilante. In addition, we owe him the very enigmatic “Inception,” brought to the screen by Leonardo DiCaprio. Not to mention, of course, “Interstellar,” the intergalactic drama starring Matthew McConaughey, as well as “Dunkirk” and, more recently, “Tenet,” released in 2020. Known for his productions, whose narratives are often complex for many to understand, Christopher Nolan returns this year with “Oppenheimer,” a biopic about one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century, specifically during the Second World War.

Who was Julius Robert Oppenheimer?

Highly anticipated by the public, “Oppenheimer” tells the story of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, one of the most famous physicists ever. Born on April 22, 1904, by the age of 11, the intelligent boy was already a member of the New York Mineralogical Society, his hometown. And later, he would famously be known as the “father of the atomic bomb” as he was at the origin of the invention of the first nuclear weapon.

Christopher Nolan’s feature film will therefore trace the critical moments in this scientist’s life, whose achievement will quickly turn into total dismay as he will be very early aware of the dangerousness of his work. “Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” he says in Universal’s brand new trailer unveiled on April 8, 2023 – Armistice Day.

Adapted from the novel by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin entitled “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2006, the film will immerse us in the backstage of the arms race between the Axis and the Allies during World War II. We will notably relive the beginnings of the Manhattan Project, coordinated by Robert Oppenheimer, alongside more than 70 other scientists.

“Oppenheimer”: A nuclear explosion without CGI

In short, as the film’s official synopsis explains, “Oppenheimer” will narrate “the thrilling universe of the complex man who risked the life of the entire world to save it better.” And as evidenced by the images in the recent trailer, the film is very artistic, with black-and-white sequence shots and others in color.

In any case, one thing is sure, visually speaking, the audience will be served. And since we’re talking about atomic bombs, knowing Nolan’s penchant for realism in his works, for “Oppenheimer,” the director has gone even further by recreating the Trinity test, the first trial of the nuclear weapon developed by the physicist and carried out on July 16, 1945. And this, without CGI. In an interview with Total Film, he mainly confided about this. According to his words:

“I think recreating the Trinity test [the first nuclear weapon detonation in New Mexico] without computer graphics was a huge challenge. Andrew Jackson – my visual effects supervisor, I got him on board early on – was looking at how we could do a lot of the visual elements of the film practically, from representing quantum dynamics and quantum physics to the Trinity test itself to recreating, with my team, Los Alamos up on a mesa in New Mexico in great weather, a lot of which was needed for the film, in terms of the very harsh conditions out there – there were huge practical challenges.”

A Five-Star Cast

To ensure the aesthetics of his future masterclass are well seen on screen, Christopher Nolan decided to call upon the talents of cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, with whom he has already collaborated on several projects like “Interstellar” or “Dunkirk.” Of course, in addition to the expertise of Hoyte Van Hoytema and other film crew members, the success of this feature film will also depend on the actors’ performances.

Nolan hit hard on the casting side, bringing together Hollywood stars, starting with the performer of the title role. The choice fell on Cillian Murphy for “Peaky Blinders,” Cillian Murphy. The Irish actor has worked several times with Nolan.

In “Oppenheimer,” the performer of “Thomas Shelby” will be reunited with actress Emily Blunt who will play Katherine Oppenheimer, the physicist’s wife. As for Matt Damon, he will play General Leslie Groves, the head of the Manhattan Project. As for the rest of the cast, the audience will also see on screen the former MCU star Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, who is also in the form of the second part of “Dune,” and Rami Malek.

“Oppenheimer,” with a budget of 100 million dollars, is expected in theaters on July 19, 2023. “Barbie” will also be released the same month.