Christopher Nolan’s J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic, which already has Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt in its cast, has added three more big names. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and Benny Safdie have joined Nolan’s upcoming film.
Pugh is set to play Jean Tatlock, who had an affair with Oppenheimer and was a member of the Community Party of the United States. Malek will play a scientist, although it’s not clear who exactly he will be playing in the role. Safdie will play Edward Teller, a member of the Manhattan Project and Hungarian physicist who is considered the father of the hydrogen bomb.
Pugh recently made her first appearance on the Disney+ series Hawkeye and debuted the character of Yelena Belova earlier this year in Black Widow. Pugh also has Don’t Worry Darling in the works, directed by Olivia Wilde and co-starring Harry Styles. Pugh will also appear in the adaptation of the Emma Donoghue novel The Wonder, and in Zach Braff’s A Good Person.
This year, Malek has appeared in The Little Things, and played the villain in No Time to Die. Malek will also be in David O. Russell’s next film, which will also feature Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, and many others. Safdie is currently starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, and will appear in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi next year. Safdie also has a role in the film adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
In addition to directing, Nolan wrote the script, which is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning book “American Prometheus: The Triumph of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
Nolan’s Oppenheimer comes to theaters on July 21, 2023.