Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Teaser Debuts in Theaters Ahead of ‘Nope’: Intense Look at Atomic Bomb Drama

The official first trailer for “Oppenheimer” is debuting exclusively in movie theaters. The brief teaser is attached to showings of Jordan Peele’s “Nope,” which makes sense as both movies are backed by Universal Pictures. “Nope” screenings began as early as 4:30pm ET in New York City on Thursday, July 21.

Nolan did a similar theatrical-only release in August 2019 for the “Tenet” teaser, which played in front of “Hobbs & Shaw” screenings. The first “Tenet” teaser was never released online. It’s unclear if Universal will debut this “Oppenheimer” teaser online.

“Oppenheimer” stars longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy as theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project and the “father of the atomic bomb.”

“The world is changing, reforming. This is your moment,” says Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife, Katherine, at the start of the teaser. A countdown appears on screen: “11 months, 24 days, 15 hours, 29 minutes.” Nolan loves a ticking-clock structure, and it appears he’s again embracing one as the film counts down toward the day “the world changes forever,” as the film’s tagline reads on the poster and in the teaser.

Robert Downey Jr’s character is heard as the title appears on screen. He says, referring to Oppenheimer, “The man who moved the earth.” Footage of fire and smoke are intercut between black-and-white shots of Murphy as Oppenheimer.

Nolan has assembled an all-star cast for “Oppenheimer.” Joining Murphy, Blunt and Downey Jr. are Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Michael Angarano and Kenneth Branagh.

“Oppenheimer” finds Murphy in the lead role of a Nolan-directed movie for the first time after lending support to the likes of “Batman Begins,” “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and more. The actor ignored the nitty, gritty details of atomic bomb science while prepping to play Oppenheimer.

“[I prepped by doing] an awful lot of reading,” Murphy said earlier this year. “I’m interested in the man and what [inventing the atomic bomb] does to the individual. The mechanics of it, that’s not really for me — I don’t have the intellectual capability to understand them, but these contradictory characters are fascinating.”

Also joining Nolan for “Oppenheimer” is cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who earned acclaim for shooting the director’s “Interstellar, “Dunkirk” and “Tenet.” Hoytema is currently earning acclaim for his work on Peele’s “Nope.” “Tenet” editor Jennifer Lame and composer Ludwig Göransson are also back for Nolan’s new movie.

Notably, “Oppenheimer” marks Nolan’s first movie at Universal Pictures. The director previously called Warner Bros. his exclusive home for over a decade. Nolan partnered on every movie with Warner Bros. dating back to 2002’s “Insomnia,” including his billion-dollar grossing Batman trilogy. Nolan and Warner Bros. allegedly had a falling out over the wobbly pandemic release of “Tenet.”

“Oppenheimer” opens in theaters July 21, 2023.

#Oppenheimer – Only in theaters 7 21 23 pic.twitter.com/olB1RLnNZl

— Oppenheimer (@OppenheimerFilm) July 21, 2022