Christopher Nolan makes bold Oppenheimer claim at CinemaCon: ‘Like it or not’

Nolan is amping up promotion of his new movie starring Cillian Murphy

Christopher Nolan made a striking claim about Oppenheimer while premiering footage of his new movie at CinemaCon.

The director is months away from debuting the film, which will explore the story of atomic bomb creator J Robert Oppenheimer.

In the film, Oppenheimer, who is often described as the father of the atomic bomb, will be played by Cillian Murphy.

While showing new footage of the film at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nolan told the crowd: “Like it or not, J Robert Oppenheimer is the most important person who ever lived. He made the world we live in, for better or for worse.”

The director continued: “I know of no more dramatic tale with higher stakes, twists and turns and ethical dilemmas. … The finest minds in the country were in a desperate race against the Nazis to harness the power of the atom in World War II.

“Picture those same minds realising the possibility that they might set fire to the entire world, yet they went ahead and pushed the button. I wanted to be there and see what that might be like.”

Nolan said that Oppenheimer’s story “has to be seen to be believed”, saying his new film “poses the most unsettling questions”.

“There are no easy answers but the most fascinating paradoxes,” he said.

For the film, Nolan, who has become known for shunning CGI in favour of pulling off practical stunts, recreated a nuclear weapon detonation in New Mexico without using any special effects.

Oppenheimer will be led by Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robery Downey Jr and Florence Pugh.

‘Oppenheimer’ director Christopher Nolan at CinemaCon in Las Vegas (AFP via Getty Images)

The film’s cast also includes Matthew Modine, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Dane DeHaan, Benny Safdie, David Krumholtz, Jack Quaid, and Alden Ehrenreich.

It will be released on cinemas on 21 July – the same day as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.