Documentary/Biopic Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer

[BatLobster]

I'm sensing a pattern for Nolan in this stage of his career. Alternating between his blockbuster, high-concept stuff and these more 'serious', grounded films. I can dig that.

A biopic about a historical figure also seems like kind of a 180 from a movie where you don't even know the main character's name.

 

[Pennywise]

I remember that he wanted to do a biopic about Howard Hughes with Jim Carrey, but then The Aviator happened.

 

[CaptainWagner]

There's so much fascinating stuff in Oppenheimer's life beyond just the Manhatten Project which, you know, is cinematic enough as is. Just tinkering around with some of the other potential main characters:

Jessie Buckley as Kitty Oppenheimer - Robert's wife, a *former* communist struggling with addiction

Bobby Cannavale as Edward Teller - A Hungarian immigrant (one of the so-called "Martians"), the "father of the hydrogen bomb," would later testify against his former boss before Congress and advocate for expanding the nuclear arsenal

Jack Black as Leo Szilard - Another "Martian," Together with Enrico Fermi invented the nuclear reactor, fought against the use of nuclear weapons during the war and spent much of his later life advocating for the destruction of the US nuclear arsenal

Rhys Ifans as Enrico Fermi - An Italian immigrant with a Jewish wife who fled fascist persecution, together with Szilard invented the nuclear reactor. Came to work for Robert at Los Alamos. Opposed the use of nuclear weapons and would later testify before Congress on Robert's behalf.

Elizabeth Debicki as Jean Tatlock - A communist, Robert's lover before and after the war. Institutionalized for chronic depression, commits suicide during the war.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Plus, CGI for the mushroom cloud if they do the Trinity Test.

The Aviator cost 110M in 2004 money.

Yeah. Budget seems standard given the director pedigree combined with the appropriate production design and we don't have an idea of what the full cast is but Nolan can get the cream of the crop and they don't come cheap either.

A ballpark of $100 million seems right.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

There's so much fascinating stuff in Oppenheimer's life beyond just the Manhatten Project which, you know, is cinematic enough as is. Just tinkering around with some of the other potential main characters:

Jessie Buckley as Kitty Oppenheimer - Robert's wife, a *former* communist struggling with addiction

Bobby Cannavale as Edward Teller - A Hungarian immigrant (one of the so-called "Martians"), the "father of the hydrogen bomb," would later testify against his former boss before Congress and advocate for expanding the nuclear arsenal

Jack Black as Leo Szilard - Another "Martian," Together with Enrico Fermi invented the nuclear reactor, fought against the use of nuclear weapons during the war and spent much of his later life advocating for the destruction of the US nuclear arsenal

Rhys Ifans as Enrico Fermi - An Italian immigrant with a Jewish wife who fled fascist persecution, together with Szilard invented the nuclear reactor. Came to work for Robert at Los Alamos. Opposed the use of nuclear weapons and would later testify before Congress on Robert's behalf.

Elizabeth Debicki as Jean Tatlock - A communist, Robert's lover before and after the war. Institutionalized for chronic depression, commits suicide during the war.

I won't be surprised if the film has as a big part the development of the bomb and racing to get it completed is concurrent with whatever personal struggles Nolan is going to tap that JRO was going through at the time that will be good grist for the drama mill.

But... I think it is also possible to do a compelling story that does a deep dive into his post WWII years and gets into the how's and why's of his losing his security clearance and the rampant paranoia (Sometimes WELL FOUNDED paranoia as there were spies aplenty seeking secrets in the Cold War and yes... Sympathizers to foreign powers who would give aid and information to other countries like Soviet Russia. This doesn't excuse McCarthyism or the tearing apart of lives but it is a fact...) that quickly swept through many corners of the nation after the immediate heady couple of years following the Axis defeat.

I think many of the players you identified in your post make as much sense to feature in that kind of story as in one about the path towards the first nuclear weapons in human history.

 

[Filmfreak]

The Aviator cost 110M in 2004 money.

Well, Scorsese also wanted 200 million to make a mob movie, so there's that.

 

[OutOfBoose]

Oppenheimer having communist views is super interesting. Let's see what Nolan will do with it.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I remember that he wanted to do a biopic about Howard Hughes with Jim Carrey, but then The Aviator happened.

I would still love to see this!

 

[:eek:]

Hmm, guess the one word title? I suppose Atomic is a bit too obvious.

Trinity?

Trinity (nuclear test) - Wikipedia

 

[CaptainWagner]

I won't be surprised if the film has as a big part the development of the bomb and racing to get it completed is concurrent with whatever personal struggles Nolan is going to tap that JRO was going through at the time that will be good grist for the drama mill.

But... I think it is also possible to do a compelling story that does a deep dive into his post WWII years and gets into the how's and why's of his losing his security clearance and the rampant paranoia (Sometimes WELL FOUNDED paranoia as there were spies aplenty seeking secrets in the Cold War and yes... Sympathizers to foreign powers who would give aid and information to other countries like Soviet Russia. This doesn't excuse McCarthyism or the tearing apart of lives but it is a fact...) that quickly swept through many corners of the nation after the immediate heady couple of years following the Axis defeat.

I think many of the players you identified in your post make as much sense to feature in that kind of story as in one about the path towards the first nuclear weapons in human history.

So many of his intimate personal connections & team-members from Los Alamos were directly involved in the accusations and hearing, so I definitely see a clear line of connection.

I picture the film taking place during the Red Scare, centered on the hearing, with flashbacks to his past life telling the rest of the story as each of the major players pops back up in the "present" timeline.

 

[GothamCity]

Intresting project choice. Really wonder how Nolan Will tell this story.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Nolan actually has a quote about Oppenheimer in the book "The Nolan Variations" that came out last year (great read btw).





This already highlights why he's an intriguing figure for a movie and why Nolan would be fascinated in the subject.

Oppenheimer kind of gets to the heart of an issue that's at the core of a lot of sci-fi, about the double-edged nature of most technological advancements. Heck, he's referenced in Tenet, so there ya go.

Also, the movie supposedly has a budget of $100 million, so I think it will still have a decent enough scale to it. That's at least in the ballpark of Dunkirk's budget.

Wow, I wasn't aware of this. Well it certainly seems like something Nolan would be a fan of tackling for a film. I'm excited honestly haha.

I thought Dunkirk was incredible btw and I was actually curious if Nolan would want to come back for that sort of setting, so I'm happy he is. And as much as I enjoyed Tenet, I wanted him to scale it back a bit again for his next movie, which he seems to be doing here. Very excited.

 

[Boom]

The aerial sequences in Dunkirk are some of the greatest scenes ever committed to film. Say whatever you will about the movie as a whole, but those plane scenes were lit. Could've taken an entire movie of that stuff.

 

[GothamCity]

The Prestige and Dunkirk are maybe his best films, also like his Batman Trilogy ofcourse specially Batman Begins.

 

[BatLobster]

The aerial sequences in Dunkirk are some of the greatest scenes ever committed to film. Say whatever you will about the movie as a whole, but those plane scenes were lit. Could've taken an entire movie of that stuff.

The dogfights really make you feel like you're actually up there and are so visceral (especially in IMAX), but that whole landing sequence with Hardy at the end is just absolute visual/cinematic beauty.

 

[Pennywise]

The aerial sequences in Dunkirk are some of the greatest scenes ever committed to film. Say whatever you will about the movie as a whole, but those plane scenes were lit. Could've taken an entire movie of that stuff.

Man, I remember seeing Dunkirk on the biggest screen with my friend! One of the best experiences ever!

 

[Gothamsknight]

The aerial sequences in Dunkirk are some of the greatest scenes ever committed to film. Say whatever you will about the movie as a whole, but those plane scenes were lit. Could've taken an entire movie of that stuff.

Absolutely. and the sound design! Oh lawd haha. That film was the definition of an experience.

 

[Brother Jack]

This is surprising. As strange as it is to say, doing an historical biopic is pretty new ground for Nolan. I wouldn't at all have expected this as his next film, and I'm very curious what he does with it.

 

[Pennywise]

Absolutely. and the sound design! Oh lawd haha. That film was the definition of an experience.

Would so love to experience that again!

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Trinity?

Trinity (nuclear test) - Wikipedia

Best yet!

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Trinity or SHIVA is my guess.

Both feel very Nolan.

But that's if the development of the first bombs are even the focus.

If it's more about his life after I could see something else.

 

[Pennywise]

I’m guessing Paramount is out.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Filmfreak]

Seems like a studio that suits him. Too bad for the WB relationship coming to an end but they really messed up with all the good faith they've built all the previous years, towards their filmmakers. And all for a system that eventually made them lose tons of money...

 

[GothamCity]

Interesting.