Oppenheimer is a 2023 epic biographical thriller film written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan. which tells the story of Robert Oppenheimer, an American physicist who helped develop the first atomic weapons during World War II. The film was released in 2005 by Kai Bird and directed by Martin J. Sherwin’s biography is based on “American Prometheus”. It covers Oppenheimer’s studies, his work at the Los Alamos Laboratory, and his 1954 security hearing. Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The film also stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek and Kenneth Branagh.
Oppenheimer film was announced in September 2021. Due to problems with Warner Bros. Pictures’ release strategy, this is Nolan’s first film since “Memento” (2000) to be distributed by Warner Bros. Murphy joined the cast in October 2021 along with other actors. . Between November 2021 and April 2022. Pre-production began in January 2022, and filming took place from February to May. Cinematographer Hoyt van Hoytema was the first to use IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large-format film, including IMAX black-and-white film. Nolan used experimental effects and kept digital effects to a minimum.
Oppenheimer premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023, and was released in the United States and United Kingdom by Universal Pictures ten days later. Its release coincided with Warner Bros.’s “Barbie,” leading to the “Barbenheimer” trend, where people viewed both films as a double feature. Oppenheimer grossed over $976 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2023, the highest-grossing World War II film, the highest-grossing biographical film, and the second-highest-grossing R-rated film. .
The film received critical acclaim and several awards. Oppenheimer won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Murphy, and Best Supporting Actor for Downey. It also won five Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and seven British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film. Additionally, it was named as one of the top ten films of 2023 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
Oppenheimer Brief Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Christopher Nolan |
| Screenplay by | Christopher Nolan |
| Based on | American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin |
| Produced by | Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan |
| Starring | Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh |
| Cinematography | Hoyte van Hoytema |
| Edited by | Jennifer Lame |
| Music by | Ludwig Göransson |
| Production companies | Syncopy, Atlas Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release dates | July 11, 2023 (Le Grand Rex), July 21, 2023 (United States and United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 180 minutes |
| Countries | United States, United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100 million |
| Box office | $976.2 million |
Oppenheimer Character Cast & Crew
| Character | Actor | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| J. Robert Oppenheimer | Cillian Murphy | Theoretical physicist and director of Los Alamos Laboratory |
| Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer | Emily Blunt | Oppenheimer’s wife and former Communist Party member |
| Gen. Leslie Groves | Matt Damon | US Army Corps officer and Manhattan Project director |
| Lewis Strauss | Robert Downey Jr. | Rear Admiral and AEC member |
| Jean Tatlock | Florence Pugh | Psychiatrist, Communist Party member, Oppenheimer’s romantic interest |
| Ernest Lawrence | Josh Hartnett | Nobel-winning nuclear physicist |
| Boris Pash | Casey Affleck | US Army intelligence officer |
| David L. Hill | Rami Malek | Nuclear physicist at the Metallurgical Laboratory |
| Niels Bohr | Kenneth Branagh | Nobel-winning Danish physicist |
| Edward Teller | Benny Safdie | “Father of the hydrogen bomb” |
| Roger Robb | Jason Clarke | Attorney and special counsel at Oppenheimer’s security hearing |
| Frank Oppenheimer | Dylan Arnold | Robert’s younger brother, particle physicist |
| Albert Einstein | Tom Conti | Nobel-winning German physicist |
| Patrick Blackett | James D’Arcy | Oppenheimer’s doctoral supervisor |
| William L. Borden | David Dastmalchian | Lawyer and executive director of JCAE |
| Kenneth Nichols | Dane DeHaan | US Army officer, Manhattan Project deputy district engineer |
| Senate aide | Alden Ehrenreich | Aide to Lewis Strauss |
| Gordon Gray | Tony Goldwyn | Chairman of the committee on Oppenheimer’s security clearance |
| Haakon Chevalier | Jefferson Hall | Berkeley professor and friend of Oppenheimer |
| Isidor Isaac Rabi | David Krumholtz | Nobel-winning physicist, Manhattan Project consultant |
| Vannevar Bush | Matthew Modine | Head of the Office of Scientific Research and Development |
| Counsel to Lewis Strauss | Scott Grimes | Lawyer |
| Thomas A. Morgan | Kurt Koehler | Industrialist and panel member at Oppenheimer’s hearing |
| Ward V. Evans | John Gowans | Chemist and panel member at Oppenheimer’s hearing |
| Lloyd K. Garrison | Macon Blair | Lawyer for Oppenheimer |
| Sen. Warren Magnuson | Gregory Jbara | Chairman of Senate Commerce Committee |
| Sen. Gale W. McGee | Harry Groener | Senator |
| Sen. John Pastore | Tim DeKay | Senator |
| Werner Heisenberg | Matthias Schweighöfer | German physicist, worked on Germany’s nuclear program |
| Luis Walter Alvarez | Alex Wolff | Nobel-winning physicist, Manhattan Project |
| Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz | Josh Zuckerman | Physicist, Oppenheimer’s protégé |
| Hartland Snyder | Rory Keane | Physicist, collaborated with Oppenheimer |
| Robert Serber | Michael Angarano | Physicist, Manhattan Project |
| Jackie Oppenheimer | Emma Dumont | Frank’s wife, Robert’s sister-in-law |
| George C. Eltenton | Guy Burnet | Chemical engineer with Soviet ties |
| Ruth Tolman | Louise Lombard | Psychologist close to Oppenheimer |
| Richard C. Tolman | Tom Jenkins | Ruth’s husband, General Groves’ adviser |
| Edward Condon | Olli Haaskivi | Nuclear physicist, radar development |
| Donald Hornig | David Rysdahl | Chemist, worked on firing unit at Los Alamos |
| Kenneth Bainbridge | Josh Peck | Director of the Trinity nuclear test |
| Richard Feynman | Jack Quaid | Nobel-winning theoretical physicist |
| Hans Bethe | Gustaf Skarsgård | Head of Theoretical Division at Los Alamos |
| Kurt Gödel | James Urbaniak | Logician and mathematician |
| George Kistiakowsky | Trond Fausa | Harvard professor, Manhattan Project |
| Seth Neddermeyer | Devon Bostick | Physicist, advocated for implosion-type weapon |
| Enrico Fermi | Danny Deferrari | Nobel-winning physicist, Chicago Pile creator |
| Klaus Fuchs | Christopher Denham | Physicist and Soviet spy |
| Charlotte Serber | Jessica Erin Martin | Head technical librarian at Los Alamos |
| J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. | Ronald Auguste | Nuclear scientist, mathematician |
| Leo Szilard | Máté Haumann | Conceived nuclear chain reaction, petitioned against atomic bomb use |
| Lilli Hornig | Olivia Thirlby | Scientist, Manhattan Project |
| Lyall Johnson | Jack Cutmore-Scott | Security officer at Berkeley |
| Philip Morrison | Harrison Gilbertson | Physics professor, Manhattan Project |
| Henry L. Stimson | James Remar | Secretary of War under Truman |
| George C. Marshall | Will Roberts | US Army Chief of Staff |
| James F. Byrnes | Pat Skipper | Secretary of State |
| Harry S. Truman | Gary Oldman | 33rd President of the United States |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | Hap Lawrence | 36th President of the United States |
| Joseph W. Kennedy | Troy Bronson | Chemist, head of Chemistry Department at Los Alamos |
Oppenheimer Box Office Collection Worldwide
| Box Office Statistics | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Gross | $976.2 million |
| United States and Canada | $329.9 million |
| Other Territories | $646.3 million |
| IMAX Gross | $190 million (approx. 20% of total gross) |
| R-Rated Film Ranking | Second-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (behind Joker 2019) |
| Highest-Grossing Biographical Film | Surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) in September 2023 |
| Highest-Grossing WWII Film | Surpassed Dunkirk (2017) |
| Highest-Grossing Film Not to Reach Top Spot | Surpassed Sing (2016) |
| Top 5 Highest-Grossing IMAX Releases | Earned $183 million from IMAX (over $17 million from IMAX 70 mm prints) |
| Net Profit | $201.9 million |
| Opening Weekend (United States and Canada) | $82.5 million (second behind Barbie) |
| Barbenheimer Phenomenon | 79% of tickets sold for Oppenheimer and Barbie combined (27% for Oppenheimer) |
| Audience Demographics | 64% male, 33% aged 18–34 |
| Opening Day Gross | $33 million (including $10.5 million from Thursday previews) |
| Nolan’s Best Opening for an Original Film | Highest of his filmography outside the last two Dark Knight trilogy films |
| Second Weekend Gross | $46.2 million (44% drop, second place behind Barbie) |
| Third Weekend Gross | $28.7 million (third place behind Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench) |
| Fourth Weekend Gross | $18.8 million (35% drop, second place) |
| Fifth and Sixth Weekend Gross | $10.7 million and $9 million (43% and 16% drops, third and fourth place) |
| Domestic Box Office by Sixth Weekend | Passed $300 million |
| 28th Week Gross (Post Oscar Nominations) | Expanded from 1,008 to 2,262 theaters, made $1 million (284% increase from previous weekend) |
| Notable Achievements | Highest-grossing film never to reach number one, highest-grossing biographical and WWII-related film, one of the top five highest-grossing IMAX releases, strong performance amidst Barbenheimer phenomenon, notable net profit. |
Further Reading:-
Unfrosted Budget, Worldwide Box Office Collection, OTT Release Date, Cast, Review, Story
"Amateurs chase the sun and get burned. Power stays in the shadows."
— Oppenheimer – A Film by Christopher Nolan (@OppenheimerATOM) July 22, 2023
-Oppenheimer (2023) pic.twitter.com/U32hla1BXM
