The Atomic Bomb Is on the Way in the Thrilling Trailer For Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer"

Updated on 5/8/2023 at 10:45 AM

Things are about to change forever. That's the message of the new trailer for Christopher Nolan's eagerly anticipated biographical drama "Oppenheimer," coming to theaters this July. In the newest footage, released May 8, Cillian Murphy, who plays J. Robert Oppenheimer, works on setting up the Manhattan Project, which would ultimately lead to the creation of the first nuclear bombs. The US eventually used those bombs against Japan, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. The trailer also gives viewers our best look yet at Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and he has a lot of questions about the safety of what they're doing. Florence Pugh also appears as psychiatrist Jean Tatlock.

The first full trailer for the film was released back in December 2022. "We imagine a future, and our imaginings horrify us," Murphy's Oppenheimer narrates in that trailer. "They won't fear it until they understand it," he warns over shots of the lab where the atomic bomb is being built. "And they won't understand it until they've used it," he adds.

"Theory will take you only so far," he continues. "I don't know if we can be trusted with such a weapon. But we have no choice." There is more footage of bomb testing and construction, Oppenheimer collaborating with other scientists, and explosions. "Is anyone ever going to tell the truth about what's happening here?" he asks as the trailer ends.

With Murphy starring in the leading role of Oppenheimer, the project boasts a sprawling, star-powered ensemble, including Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, and Rami Malek. The screenplay for the film was penned by Nolan. Read on for more information about "Oppenheimer," including its plot, release date, complete A-list lineup, and more.

"Oppenheimer" Trailer 2

Universal released a new, three-minute "Openheimer" trailer on May 8.

"Oppenheimer" Trailer 1

The first "Oppenheimer" trailer was released in December 2022.

"Oppenheimer" Teaser

Universal Pictures shared a short teaser for "Oppenheimer" back in July 2022.

"Oppenheimer" Plot

The screen adaptation of the theoretical physicist's biography will take place against the backdrop of World War II. The plot will center on Oppenheimer, also known as the "father of the atomic bomb," and his contributions to the Manhattan Project as the head of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. The second, May 2023 trailer shows that the movie will not just focus on the creation of the bomb, but also the public reaction to it.

The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2005 biography "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which took the authors 25 years of research and writing.

"Oppenheimer" Cast

The star-studded lineup for "Oppenheimer" is pretty much any director's dream assembly. The long list of cast members includes Murphy as Oppenheimer; Blunt as the physicist's wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer; Pugh as Jean Tatlock, a physician who was a former lover of Oppenheimer; Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, dubbed "the father of the hydrogen bomb"; Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss; and Damon as Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves.

The stacked cast also includes Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, Olivia Thirlby, Matthew Modine, Dylan Arnold, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Tony Goldwyn, Alex Wolff, Matthias Schweighöfer, David Rysdahl, Josh Peck, Jason Clarke, David Dastmalchian, Dane DeHaan, and Jack Quaid.

"Oppenheimer" Release Date

"Oppenheimer" will come out exclusively in theaters on July 21 — which is the same date as the "Barbie" movie.

"Oppenheimer" Poster

In July 2022, Universal Pictures released the official poster for "Oppenheimer," which sees Murphy's Oppenheimer silhouetted by a cloud of smoke (from an explosion, no doubt). The poster's tagline is "The world forever changes."

"Oppenheimer" Second Poster

Universal Pictures released a second poster on Dec. 18, 2022. It shows the physicist watching the atomic-bomb tests, wearing a pair of safety googles and looking through a window. He's illuminated by a yellow-orange glow.