Christopher Nolan Dips Back Into The ‘Dark Knight’ Universe To Find The Star Of His Next Movie

Things are moving quickly for Christopher Nolan‘s next movie as the signature director prepares for his first film outside of the Warner Bros. umbrella that he’s operated under for almost two decades. Titled Oppenheimer, the biopic will center on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atom bomb. While Nolan has left behind Warner Bros., he clearly has no plans to abandon the stable of actors he’s come to rely on over the years. Longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy has been tapped for the lead role. He’s previously worked with Nolan on all three Dark Knight films, Inception, and Dunkirk. In fact, Murphy was Nolan’s top choice to play Batman before the part went to Christian Bale. Via Deadline:

The iMax-shot epic thriller thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it. Universal Pictures will distribute Oppenheimer theatrically worldwide and will release the film in North American.

Written and directed by Nolan, the film will also be produced by Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Nolan. 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 who sadly passed away this week.

On top of announcing Murphy’s casting, Oppenheimer has also locked down a release date: July 21, 2023. So that should be explosive summer.