Nolan “recreates” atomic bomb explosion for Oppenheimer – what we know so far

Christopher Nola, atomic bomb, Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy

Visionary director Christopher Nolan is known for doing the unthinkable. Ever since he announced he was directing Oppenheimer, social media users have joked about him using an actual atomic bomb for the film. 

Well, he seems to be going in that exact direction as he “recreates” an atomic bomb explosion without the use of CGI.

Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures

Recreating an atomic bomb

In an interview with Total Film magazine, Christopher Nolan reveals how he recreated the first-ever nuclear weapon detonation for his upcoming historical biopic on the inventor of the atomic bomb. 

  • Nolan claims to have recreated the Trinity test, the first-ever nuclear weapon detonation without computer graphics. The production of this ambitious sequence took place in New Mexico.
Image courtesy of Total Film and Universal Pictures
  • According to Nolan, Oppenheimer is “a story of immense scope and scale,” and it was one of the most challenging projects he has undertaken.
  • Nolan and VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson have collaborated to execute his vision of the Trinity test, quantum physics, and dynamics.

New stills from Oppenheimer

As part of the Christopher Nolan exclusive interview, Total Film magazine also released new images from the film. The newly released stills offer a glimpse of the film’s world.

  • In one image, we see Cillian Murphy in the role of the titular character J Robert Oppenheimer addressing a panel on a microphone. In other pictures, we get our first look at Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt’s characters.

What we know so far about Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer

Hoyte van Hoytema is the cinematographer for the film. He had previously collaborated with Nolan on Dunkirk and Tenet. For Oppenheimer, the duo has managed to shoot in black-and-white on IMAX film for the first time in history.

Image courtesy of IMDb
  • Apart from Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt, the ensemble cast includes Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, and Casey Affleck.

Nolan’s practical filmmaking

Christopher Nolan’s love for practical filmmaking without computer graphics needs no introduction. On his previous time-warping action thriller Tenet, Nolan crashed and blew up an actual Boeing 747.

  • Nolan never uses a blue or green screen to achieve visual effects. In The Dark Knight, he flipped a truck in the middle of the road. In Interstellar, he built spacecraft sets with starry exteriors.

With each new film, Nolan pushes the limits of the cinematic medium to achieve new heights in storytelling. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer releases on 21 July 2023 in theaters and IMAX worldwide. Are you excited about the biggest film event of the decade? 

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SOURCES: Universal Pictures, Total Film magazine, IMDb

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