Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon joining Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer movie

Last Updated on November 3, 2021

The cast for Christopher Nolan’s latest is getting more exciting by the day. According to Deadline, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon are in talks to join the Oppenheimer ensemble cast. The film already stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who ran the Manhattan Project that led to the invention of the atomic bomb. A previous report also indicates that Emily Blunt is in talks to star as Oppenheimer’s wife.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will be the filmmaker’s first directorial effort since 2020’s Tenet. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. In addition to directing the feature, Nolan will also write the script and produce alongside Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven.

Oppenheimer will take place during World War II and revolve around J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb. The thriller will thrust audiences into “the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world to save it.” Oppenheimer is set to be shot on a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film, with production expected to kick off in early 2022.

Matt Damon is currently starring in the Ridley Scott epic The Last Duel, which is in theaters now. Damon stars as Sir Jean de Carrouges in the film alongside Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris, and Ben Affleck’s Pierre d’Alencon. Jodie Comer also stars as Marguerite de Carrouges in the film that tells the tale of a knight and his squire settling a dispute through deadly combat.

After taking some time off of acting, Robert Downey Jr. is preparing to reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes for Sherlock Holmes 3. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the film also stars Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty, and Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will debut in theaters on July 21, 2023.