Cillian Murphy to star as atomic bomb inventor in new Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy has been cast as the inventor of the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer.

Murphy adds to his list of collaborations with the acclaimed director as the American theoretical physicist — Robert J. Oppenheimer — also known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The pair have previously worked together on The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk.

Universal described the forthcoming film as an “epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.”

The film is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin.

Universal studios announced the news and said the film will arrive on July 21st 2023. This is Nolan’s first film to make away from his long-time studio Warner Bros since 2000’s Memento.

The director openly criticised the studio’s decision to release its 2021 list of films on its HBO Max streaming service at the same time it dropped in cinemas. The 51-year old filmmaker — who will also write the script of Oppenheimer — has been a vocal supporter of the theatrical experience.

Nolan most recently directed the science fiction action-thriller Tenet in 2020 with Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Birmingham gangster/businessman Tommy Shelby in the upcoming season of Peaky Blinders. The Cork actor recently appeared in A Quiet Place II.