Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Teaser Screening With Nope

Christopher Nolan’s next film, Oppenheimer, has a teaser trailer with IMAX screenings of Jordan Peele’s Nope. Nolan’s newest film is a slight departure from the movies he’s made over the last decade and a half, as he’s largely focused on big high-concept blockbusters that feature enormous spectacle. Although it will likely feature all kinds of spectacle given it’s about one of the men responsible for creating the atomic bomb, it’s unlikely it will feature big gun fights, inverted car chases, or spinning hotel hallways. With that said, we’re starting to get a taste of what to expect from Nolan’s latest feature film.

For those who see Nope in IMAX, they’ll be treated to a teaser trailer of Oppenheimer. It’s roughly a minute long and is very similar to the first teaser for Tenet, meaning it’s a bit vague, but still paints a picture of Nolan’s vision. The trailer opens with a slow, rising rhythm and ash rising on a black screen. A woman that sounds like Emily Blunt states “The world is changing, reforming. This is your moment.” A black and white image of a fedora resting on a table fades in with a countdown that says “11 months, 24 days, 15 hours, 29 minutes” before a man starts speaking. “How could this man be so smart and be so blind?” Images of bright orange fire begin to swirl on screen, the rhythm intensifies, the countdown adds a “seconds” column which begins to rapidly descend before revealing a black and white shot of Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer donning the aforementioned hat while staring out a window. A man says “You gave them the power to destroy themselves.” Another man says “He may be the most important man who ever lived!” An arresting image of fire completely engulfs the screen before cutting back to yet another black and white shot of Oppenheimer walking down a crowded corridor while people take pictures of him. The words “THE WORLD FOREVER CHANGES” with the countdown next to it before it hits zero and the screen fades completely to black. A voice that sounds like Robert Downey Jr. closes out the trailer with the title card on screen by saying “The man who moved the earth.”

It’s a good tone setter for Christopher Nolan’s next movie which appears to possibly be shot in black and white. This may just be for the trailer, but it could be a stylistic choice. The movie may primarily be shot in black and white, but resort to color during sequences where the atomic bomb is set off or tested to help really emphasize its power. As of right now, it remains to be seen. It’s unclear when this trailer or a longer trailer will be released online, but a poster for Oppenheimer was released earlier this week. 

Oppenheimer will release in theaters on July 21st, 2023. It will star Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and many, many others. Are you excited for Nolan’s new film? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.