Christopher Nolan Shares Why He Wrote Oppenheimer in the First Person

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Christopher Nolan Shares Why He Wrote Oppenheimer in the First Person

Christopher Nolan is the true embodiment of a writer-director, having written and directed 11 of his 12 feature films. Nolan wrote and directed his latest project, Oppenheimer, a thriller about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped create the nuclear bomb. Nolan made the unique decision to write the Oppenheimer script in the first person.

In a behind-the-scenes featurette, Nolan explained why he wrote the script from Oppenheimer’s perspective. “In the case of this film, I wrote the script in the first person,” Nolan said. “It’s the only time I’ve done that. It made it clear to anyone who read the script that we’re on this ride with Oppenheimer.”

Watch the featurette below, which features interviews with Nolan and members of the cast:

Who is Involved in Oppenheimer?

Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who led the Manhattan Project and would become the “father of the atomic bomb.” Starring alongside Murphy is Emily Blunt stars as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, a botanist and the wife of the titular character; Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, the chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission; and Florence Pugh as Jean Talock, a reporter who had a romantic affair with J. Robert.

Oppenheimer’s large ensemble cast includes Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Casey Affleck, Matthew Modine, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Gary Oldman, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthias Schweighöfer, Tony Goldwyn, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

Oppenheimer is written and directed by Nolan, who produces alongside his wife, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. The film is based on the 2005 book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Oppenheimer is scheduled for release on July 21, 2023.