Reports Of Oppenheimer Release Date Being Delayed Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
The countdown to "Oppenheimer" continues. Despite social media reports that circulated this morning indicating that Christopher Nolan's historical epic has been pushed down the release schedule, The Wrap has confirmed that "Oppenheimer" is still slated for a July 21, 2023 release. The outlet spoke with a source close to the movie, and was reassured that there are no plans to move Nolan's film about J. Robert Oppenheimer anytime soon.
Rumors spread this morning based on a comment made by Cannes Film Festival Director Thierry Femaux. In an interview with Variety, Fremaux said that he wouldn't have been able to nab "Oppenheimer" for this year's program because "it's being released at the end of the year as part of their awards strategy." According to The Wrap, Fremaux was mistaken, and "Oppenheimer" is still set for a July release just like past Nolan hits including "Inception," "Dunkirk," and "The Dark Knight." The movie is famously set to arrive the same day as Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," making for what might be the most incongruous double-feature of the year.
The clock is still ticking down to July
If the two summer films have one thing in common, it's a massively star-studded cast. "Oppenheimer" casting announcements all but became a meme over the past two years, as everyone from Benny Safdie to Josh Peck to Gustaf Skarsgård (yes, of those Skarsgårds) joined the sprawling ensemble. Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. are also among the film's stars, with Cillian Murphy set to play the eponymous character.
"Oppenheimer" will be based on the book "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, and will tell the story of the theoretical physicist whose name ended up synonymous with the atomic bomb after his involvement in the Manhattan Project. First footage from the film is appropriately somber, with Murphy's scientist declaring that man won't understand the power of the atomic bomb until we've used it. "I don't know if we can be trusted with such a weapon," he says over shots of scared-looking scientists and nebula-like swirls, "but we have no choice."
Though "Oppenheimer" certainly looks like it'll have the visual panache and ambition typical of a Nolan movie, it's actually a departure for the filmmaker in a few key ways. The Universal Pictures film will be Nolan's first project not presented under the Warner Brothers banner since 2000, and it was also filmed in IMAX and 65mm.
You can witness "Oppenheimer" in all its frightening glory when it hits theaters as planned on July 21, 2023.