Forget CGI. Did Christopher Nolan set off a REAL nuclear bomb for Oppenheimer?

For Oppenheimer, his first feature film in over three years, did practical-effects-over-CGI Christopher Nolan perhaps take it a step too far?

Nolan’s next film, titled Oppenheimer, will serve as a biopic of the eponymous “father of the atomic bomb”. Starring Cilian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, the film will follow the life of theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, the manager of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project and his contributions that led to the creation of the atomic bomb.

Set in the 1940s, Nolan aims to document Oppenheimer's life and legacy through the lens of cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, a frequent collaborator with the director. The film is said to be filmed entirely on an IMAX camera, as are most of his films, but this time partially in black and white as well.

Calling the project one of the most challenging he has ever undertaken, Nolan describes the film as “a story of immense scope and scale”. Total Film released around half a dozen exclusive photos of the film. Here are a few:

A biopic covering the life of the “father of the atomic bomb” ought to feature one mushroom cloud at the very least. However, as a pioneer of practical effects, Nolan reportedly set aside CGI for the same.

Nolan DID recreate a nuclear explosion. All the prophetic memes officially stand true.

A full-length trailer for Oppenheimer will premiere before the IMAX screenings of Avatar: The Way of Water this weekend. 

Universal Pictures has scheduled Oppenheimer for a July 21, 2023 release.

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