More Stars In Talks To Join Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”

Christopher Nolan is one of the most respected and exciting directors in Hollywood today. And when his next project, Oppenheimer, got snapped up by Universal Pictures it turned a lot of heads. And it wasn’t just because it marks the first production he’s assembled outside of Warner Bros., whom he fell out with over disagreements about WB’s 2020 day-and-date release strategy, but because it is such a unique film for the director to be helming.

That said, there hasn’t been a lot of info provided about the film, though frequent Nolan-collaborator Cillian Murphy was the first cast member announced. But, he’s not the only star and frequent Nolan collaborator to jump onboard, as it is now being reported that Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. are reportedly in talks to join.

The movie will detail the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who ran the Manhattan Project which led to the invention of the atomic bomb. Murphy has been tapped to portray the titular scientist, but who anyone else will be playing is still under wraps, though it’s likely that Downey and Damon will both have significant roles.

Nolan is both writing and directing the movie, which is drawing inspiration from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Also a part of the cast is Emily Blunt, fresh from her starring turn alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Her role is also still unknown, but it’s being heavily rumored that she’ll be taking on the female lead.

Nolan, Emma Thomas and Charles Roven are set to produce, with plans for Oppenheimer to begin filming early next year to meet a planned July 21st, 2023 release, which is notable because the date is about 2 weeks before the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.