Posted in: Casting, Movies, Universal | Tagged: christopher nolan, J. Robert Oppenheimer, matt damon, oppenheimer, robert downey jr, universal, world war ii

Oppenheimer: Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon in Talks for Nolan Biopic

Published Wed, 03 Nov 2021 07:17:12 -0500

by Tom Chang

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Two powerhouses in actors Robert Downey Jr and Matt Damon are in talks to join the upcoming Christopher Nolan World War II biopic Oppenheimer about the development of the atomic bomb. It would be the director's second film to focus on that era following 2017's Dunkirk about the famous battle and Allied evacuation. Deadline Hollywood previously revealed actress Emily Blunt was also in talks for the Universal film. Nolan-favorite Cillian Murphy is set to star as the title character J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist behind the Manhattan Project that produced the weapon.

Robert Downey Jr. at the premiere of Disney and Marvel's 'Avengers: Infinity War' held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, USA on April 23, 2018. (Image: Tinseltown/Shutterstock.com)

Oppenheimer Production Details

There's no word on what Downey Jr. and Damon will play. The latter previously worked with Nolan in his 2014 space epic Interstellar. The writer-director will serve in the same capacity in Oppenheimer, his first project for Universal, as well as produce alongside Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment's Charles Roven. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.

Oppenheimer: Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon in Talks for Nolan Biopic — Matt Damon attends the "Ford v Ferrari" premiere on September 9, 2019, at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Downey Jr was recently in Dolittle for Universal and is also attached to Sherlock Holmes 3 for Warner Bros and the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer. Damon currently stars in Ridley Scott's The Last Duel opposite Adam Driver and Jodie Comer for 20th Century Studios and was in Stillwater for Focus Features. The actor wrapped filming Thor: Love and Thunder for Marvel, reprising his recurring minor role as Actor Loki. Oppenheimer is the five-time Oscar nominee's first project since 2020's Tenet, which was one of the first major cinematic releases affected by the pandemic. The biopic is slated for release on July 21, 2023.