Oppenheimer Footage Reaction: Christopher Nolan Makes Cillian Murphy The Destroyer Of Worlds [CinemaCon 2023]
We're less than three months away from Christopher Nolan's next film, and though there's no sign of a new trailer just yet — we got the first proper one back in December — thankfully Universal Pictures gave us a look at more footage on Wednesday at CinemaCon 2023. As is always the case with any Nolan venture, "Oppenheimer" looks absolutely epic. As is now a Nolan custom, it's been filmed entirely on 65mm — a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film — with some sections, for the first time ever, in IMAX black-and-white analog photography.
Nolan's love for practical effects continues in "Oppenheimer," with the filmmaker pushing the boundary. "I think recreating the Trinity test [the first nuclear detonation in New Mexico] without the use of computer graphics was a huge challenge to take on," he said in December. Despite all that, the budget isn't astronomical — in fact, "Oppenheimer" cost less than every film Nolan has made going back to "The Dark Knight." Still, $100 million is a lot these days for a Hollywood movie not based on toys, comics, or novels.
The film's above-the-line ensemble likely helped keep costs in check, with all of Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr. taking pay cuts from their usual eight-digit figures and settling for $4 million apiece. That said, their contracts guarantee them extra money, if "Oppenheimer" were to turn into a box-office juggernaut. Given Nolan's track record, the actors will be confident of that happening.
And it seems Universal is too, given the praise and platitudes its executives showered at the studio's CinemaCon 2023 panel on Wednesday. Thanks to its showcase, we got an additional look at "Oppenheimer." Here's what /Film's Ben Pearson, who was in attendance, saw.
The making of the bomb
Christopher Nolan was at CinemaCon to present the footage, and said "I know of no more dramatic tale with higher stakes, more extraordinary twists and turns" than this movie. Nolan also talked about how during the first test of the bomb, the scientists knew there was a chance they could set the atmosphere on fire and destroy the entire world, and they decided to test it anyway. He said the movie is in color and black and white ("not too much black and white, don't worry").
The filmmaker also added, "Like it or not, J. Robert Oppenheimer is the most important person who ever lived. He made the world we live in, for better or for worse. His story has to be seen to be believed." Also, rather importantly, the full trailer is coming attached to "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" very soon. So be on the lookout, in the meantime, here's what was in the footage that screened for the crowd.
The destroyer of worlds
We start off in black and white, with Robert Downey Jr. in the backseat of a cab, wearing a tux. He meets with a group of "fancy" guys gathered around a table in a high-class restaurant. He brings word that the Russians have a bomb and that the Americans are supposed to be years ahead of them. Murphy's Oppenheimer says they're in a race against the Nazis, but Downey says the Soviets just fired the starting gun, and the race is against them now.
It then cuts to some color footage in Los Alamos, a secret town in the middle of nowhere. Matt Damon plays a no-nonsense military general. Damon's character says this is the most important thing to ever happen in the history of the world. We then get lots of shots of this makeshift town of Los Alamos. Emily Blunt's character is seen hanging laundry outside. "It's happening, isn't it?" she says.
They raise a bomb up in an oil derrick-looking device. The black and white footage appears to be in the present timeline of the film, whereas the color footage is flashbacks. People are questioning Oppenheimer, who keeps saying that no one can leave Los Alamos. "Are we saying there's a chance that when we push that button, we could destroy the world?" Damon's character asks. "The chances are near zero," Oppenheimer replies. "Zero would be nice," Damon retorts. We finish with some shots of characters on horseback, quick cuts, explosions in the desert, a ticking clock. /Film's Ben Pearson tells us the footage looks dramatic, suspenseful, and, most importantly, spectacular. And that's what we've got!
Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" explodes into theatres on July 21, 2023 — the same day as the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-led "Barbie."