Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan discuss ‘Oppenheimer’: Oppenheimer is set to be the biggest release of 2023. It will be hitting the silver screen on 21 July. The movie has been heavily marketed as Christopher Nolan’s most introspective film to date. The first looks of Oppenheimer were shared a while ago, and the official trailer came out just a couple of days back with GoTG 3.
The actor-director duo showered praise on each other in their latest interview with Rolling Stone UK. “It’s the best script I have ever read. I think the film is sensational. As a person who loves films — I’m not saying it ’cause I’m in the fucking thing, I hate looking at myself — but as a lover of film, as a cinephile, I’m a Chris Nolan fan.” Murphy alluded to and appreciated the creative choice by Nolan to characterize Oppenhemier’s story as a first-person exclusive from his perspective.
Nolan and Murphy have been coy about the details of the film. While that is something not new for a film by the illustrious director, Oppenheimer has been fiercely guarded against speculators looking for tidbits from the film. Nolan spoke to Rolling Stone as well to give his two cents about what Murphy brought to the role. “He projects an intelligence that allows the audience to feel that they understand the character. I think Oppenheimer, of all the characters that I’ve seen Cillian take on and of all the characters that I’ve dealt with in my work, is one of the most complicated and layered people.”
“Cillian is one of the few talents able to explore those different layers and to project that level of complexity.” Nolan admired how Murphy was able to portray emotions using his body language, adding a layer of nuance and subtlety to the roles that viewers enjoy. “The audience becomes members of this community who are hanging on to his every word, studying his every gesture, to try and understand it.”
Trailing the Batman Begins connection
Murphy and Nolan have been longtime collaborators. The actor has featured in six of Nolan’s previous movies, even though not in a starring capacity on all occasions. It is his admiration for Nolan that has not made him question any of those roles, the actor posited. “I’d always show up for Chris, even if it was walking in the background of his next movie holding a surfboard.” Murphy did play a shivering soldier in Dunkirk, Nolan’s electric war film, and said that he would do it again.
In a separate interview, Murphy spoke about his time with Nolan in their first collaboration in Batman Begins. The Irish actor was cast as Scarecrow, even though Nolan wanted him to be Batman when he saw him in 28 Days Later. But Murphy himself felt he wasn’t fit for the part, saying, “It felt to me that it was correct and right that it should be Christian Bale for that part.” Nolan chose to do two scenes with Murphy – as both the above characters – and even brought down WB executives to make them see Murphy as Scarecrow.
“We did two scenes, and I made sure that executives came down and watched what you (speaking to Murphy) were doing on set. Everybody was so excited by watching you perform that when I then said to them, ‘Okay, Christian Bale is Batman, but what about Cillian to play Scarecrow?’ there was no dissent. All the previous Batman villains had been played by huge movie stars: Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, that kind of thing. That was a big leap for them, and it really was purely on the basis of that test. So that’s how you got to play Scarecrow.”
Plans for a Peaky Blinders movie
Stephen Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, had previously revealed in April that he had “definitive plans” for a Peaky Blinders movie starring Murphy. The show wrapped up its stint on Netflix with its final sixth season. Knight said the film is expected to arrive in cinemas in 2024.
Murphy also commented on the possibility of the movie releasing soon and how he was looking forward to taking on the role again.
“If there’s more story there, I’d love to do it,” Murphy said. “But it has to be right. Steve Knight wrote 36 hours of television, and we left on such a high. I’m really proud of that last series. So, it would have to feel legitimate and justified to do more.”
