Deadline is reporting that Christopher Nolan is developing his next film, which will focus on J. Robert Oppenheimer’s part in developing the atom bomb in World War II. But maybe the biggest surprise of Nolan’s upcoming movie is that Nolan is looking at other studios beyond Warner Bros. for the project.
Nolan has been vocal about his disapproval with Warner Bros., after the studio announced their 2021 slate of films would be coming to HBO Max the same day they were released in theaters, without any warning to the filmmakers or studio’s financing partners. Nolan famously was determined for his most recent film, 2020’s Tenet, to receive a theatrical release.
While not much is known about Nolan's next project, Deadline also says that Cillian Murphy might be involved with the project. Nolan and Murphy have collaborated several times before, with Murphy appearing in all three of The Dark Knight films, as well as 2010’s Inception and 2017’s Dunkirk. In fact, Dunkirk - in which Nolan followed various soldiers during the infamous WWII battle - earned Nolan his first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Deadline also says that Nolan’s latest project would have opportunities for many starring roles. While it’s unclear what studio this next project could go to, Netflix’s film chief Scott Stuber has said that he’s "going to everything I can” to make sure Nolan's next film would go to the streaming service. Considering Nolan’s dislike for direct-to-streaming, which seems to have led to a shaky relationship with Warner Bros., it does seem unlikely Nolan’s next movie will come directly to streaming services.
There is no release date yet for Nolan’s Oppenheimer film.