Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer Has Found The Perfect Lead

Writer-director Christopher Nolan already has an extensive and well regarded filmography under his belt — one that includes 2006's "The Prestige," 2007's "The Dark Knight," and 2014's "Interstellar," just to name a few. Now, he has a new project in the works to follow last year's "Tenet."

The new project is titled "Oppenheimer," named for the film's subject, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who contributed to the research and design of the atomic bomb, and is even frequently referred to as "the father of the atomic bomb" (via the Atomic Heritage Foundation). 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 the late Martin J. Sherwin. 

"Oppenheimer" will be Nolan's first project since 2000's "Memento" that won't be distributed through Warner Bros. — instead, Universal has acquired the rights (via The Hollywood Reporter). Per Universal, the film will be 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."

To add on to Nolan fans' delight about the new film, we now know who will portray the titular physicist, and it's a name that will certainly be familiar.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the lead in "Oppenheimer" has been announced — Cillian Murphy will take on the role of the father of the atomic bomb.

Murphy has worked with Nolan before, beginning with 2005's "Batman Begins," in which he portrayed Dr. Jonathan Crane aka The Scarecrow. He then reprised the role for the two sequels, 2008's "The Dark Knight" and 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises." He also acted in 2010's "Inception" and 2017's "Dunkirk." The upcoming "Oppenheimer" will be Murphy's first time as the lead in a Nolan film. Outside of his frequent collaborations with Nolan, Murphy has most recently starred in John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place Part II" and the period drama series "Peaky Blinders," which wrapped up its run in 2019.

According to THR, "Oppenheimer" is set to begin production in early 2022, shooting on IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film. The film is slated to premiere on July 21, 2023.