Having previously visited Gotham, a wormhole in space, and the depths of the human mind, Christopher Nolan is heading somewhere a little closer to home for his next directorial effort. Dunkirk will tell the true story of the Allied evacuation during the early stages of World War II, and it’s just found a new recruit: Cillian Murphy is joining the project, according to The Wrap.
Murphy, of course, is no stranger to a Nolan enterprise, with the actor and director collaborating on no less than four films. There’s no word on what role he will play, but he’ll be joining a cast that includes Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh, plus newcomers Fionn Whitehead, Jack Lowden and Aneurin Barnard. Also – and we promise we’re not making this up – One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles is appearing, in his acting debut.
Nolan will be directing from his own script, and co-producing with his wife and producing partner Emma Thomas. A longtime champion of traditional filming practices, he will be utilising IMAX 65mm photography, and releasing the film in multiple formats.
The film will tell the famous story of Operation Dynamo, the 1940 Allied military operation which evacuated over 300,000 soldiers from the British and French armies across the English channel after the German armies surrounded them.
A number of films have documented the event, including the 1958 film Dunkirk starring John Mills and Richard Attenborough, and more recently Joe Wright’s Atonement, which featured a memorable single-take shot of the turmoil on the beach.
Filming on Nolan’s effort begins in May, ahead of a planned July 21, 2017 release date.