Cillian Murphy will star in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer movie.

The 45-year-old Irish actor will play Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, “the father of the atomic bomb”, in Nolan’s return to the World War era after “Dunkirk” (2017).

The selection was confirmed by Universal Pictures studio and Syncopy, producer Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas, who also announced a (exclusive) theatrical debut on July 21, 2023 (a familiar date for the director’s other work).

Rumors have swirled about this casting since the project was announced three weeks ago: Silam Murphy is one of the director’s favorite actors and despite being the first-time protagonist, has entered “Batman – The Beginning” (2005), “Inception – The Origin (2010) and” Dunkirk” (2017), to which avatar posts were added in “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Reborn” (2012).

Filming is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022 on a budget of $100 million, which is lower than usual at Nolan Cinemas, but far outstripping what studios typically invest in these types of projects: the director’s script is described as a thriller about the paradox of a mysterious man. He must risk destroying the world to save him.

After Nolan ended his highly successful 18-year relationship with Warner Brothers studio. Due to its decision to release all of its 2021 films at the same time in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming platform, Universal Pictures has won a race to fund and distribute Oppenheimer, which will be entitled to an exclusive theatrical release within 100 days. .