When word first broke that Christopher Nolan was planning a film based on atomic bomb scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, talks naturally turned to who might star, with Nolan regular Cillian Murphy in the mix. Now the movie's set up, Murphy's involvement is confirmed.
Nolan based his latest script on Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It charts how Oppenheimer played a key role in the creation of atomic weapons, yet later came to have complicated feelings about their deadly power. He lobbied for international control of nuclear power and opposed the creation of the even more destructive hydrogen bomb.
Alongside Murphy, who is now aboard as Oppenheimer, Nolan will reunite with some other repeat collaborators, including cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, editor Jennifer Lame, composer Ludwig Göransson and, of course, producer/wife Emma Thomas. But the bigger news for the director is his moving studios – after a long run with Warner Bros., this next film will be produced by Universal, which scored the opportunity in a bidding war against other major companies.