When Will Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Be Available On Digital?
The practical effect of the Trinity Test is a pivotal moment and Nolan worked closely with cinematographers to achieve the realistic look of the explosion.
(L to R) Cillian Murphy (as J. Robert Oppenheimer) and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of 'Oppenheimer.'
Christopher Nolan’s historical biopic was not only a box-office powerhouse but also delivered compelling performances and stunning visuals.
The film chronics J. Robert Oppenheimer's career from the beginning of his studies to his role in the Manhattan Project to the 1954 security hearing. The film used color to differentiate between Oppenheimer’s point of view and Lewis Strauss’ point of view - with color representing Oppenheimer and black and white for Strauss. The difference in color also depicts their personality, where Oppenheimer sees the world in bright colors, while Strauss sees it in black and white.
The official synopsis for 'Oppenheimer' is below:
“During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.”
Who Is In The Cast of ‘Oppenheimer’?
Robert Downey Jr is Lewis Strauss in 'Oppenheimer,' written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
- Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
- Emily Blunt as Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer
- Matt Damon as Leslie Groves
- Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss
- Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock
- Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence
- Casey Affleck as Boris Pash
- Rami Malek as David Hill
- Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr
- Benny Safdie as Edward Teller
- Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Hans Bethe
- David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi
- Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush
- David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden
- Tom Conti as Albert Einstein
- Michael Angarano as Robert Serber
- Jack Quaid as Richard Feynman
- Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge
- Olivia Thirlby as Lilli Hornig
- Dane DeHaan as Kenneth Nichols
- Danny Deferrari as Enrico Fermi
- Alden Ehrenreich as a Senate aide
- Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier
- Jason Clarke as Roger Robb
- James D'Arcy as Patrick Blackett
- Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray
- Devon Bostick as Seth Neddermeyer
- Alex Wolff as Luis Walter Alvarez
- Scott Grimes as Counsel
- Josh Zuckerman as Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz
- Matthias Schweighöfer as Werner Heisenberg
- Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs
- David Rysdahl as Donald Hornig
- Guy Burnet as George Eltenton
- Louise Lombard as Ruth Tolman
- Harrison Gilbertson as Philip Morrison
- Emma Dumont as Jackie Oppenheimer
- Trond Fausa Aurvåg as George Kistiakowsky
- Olli Haaskivi as Edward Condon
- Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman
- John Gowans as Ward Evans
- Kurt Koehler as Thomas A. Morgan
- Macon Blair as Lloyd Garrison
- Harry Groener as Gale W. McGee
- Jack Cutmore-Scott as Lyall Johnson
- James Remar as Henry Stimson
- Gregory Jbara as Warren Magnuson
- Tim DeKay as John Pastore
- James Urbaniak as Kurt Gödel
The Atomic Explosion
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in 'Oppenheimer,' written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The film did not use any CGI or VFX to recreate the Trinity Test blast. As we saw with Nolan’s 2020 film ‘Tenet’, the director has always had a knack for creating realistic and explosive moments on film with practical effects. To recreate the atomic bomb detonation, Nolan worked with cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema to capture the explosion on film.
Working closely with special effects supervisor Scott Fisher and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, they first ran tests by dropping silver particles in an aquarium.
“We built aquariums with powers in it. We dropped silver particles in it. We had molded metallic balloons which were lit up from the inside. We had things slamming and smashing into one another, such as ping-pong balls, or just had objects spinning,” said Van Hoytema.
The explosion was captured in in close-up at variable frame rates, combined with Van Joytema’s IMAX cinematography which filled the screen with an image that is both beautiful and deadly. When this moment is played in the theaters, the film goes silent as the detonation flashes before the deafening blast shakes and resonates in everyone’s core.
Related Article: Movie Review: 'Oppenheimer'
Where Can I Watch ‘Oppenheimer?
(L to R) Tom Conti is Albert Einstein and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in 'Oppenheimer,' written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
‘Oppenheimer’ held its world premiere on July 11, 2023, at Le Grand Rex in Paris. The film was released domestically on July 21 in formats such as IMAX 70mm, stand 70mm, and 35mm. The film was released simultaneously as Warner Bros.’s ‘Barbie’, creating the internet phenomenon known as “Barbieheimer.”
‘Oppenheimer’ earned over $82.4 million on its opening weekend and has since grossed over $322.4 million domestically and $933.8 million worldwide, making it the 2nd highest-grossing R-rated movie. ‘Oppenheimer’ has a total runtime of 3 hours.
Buy Tickets: 'Oppenheimer' Movie Showtimes
Watch the official trailers for ‘Oppenheimer’ below:
While some theaters are still playing the movie, options are limited as the film has passed its 45-day theatrical window. Currently, there is no word on when the historical biopic will be released on digital or streaming. ‘Barbie’, which was released at the same time as ‘Oppenheimer’, is already available on digital. However, it is possible the film remains in theater longer as Nolan requested a longer theatrical window.
Buy Christopher Nolan Movies on Amazon
If the film were to follow the release schedule of Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’, arriving on its streaming service Peacock 120 days after its theatrical release. That could mean ‘Oppenheimer’ would be available on streaming by mid-November.
Where to Watch: 'Oppenheimer' Stream and Watch Online
(L to R) Emily Blunt is Kitty Oppenheimer and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in 'Oppenheimer,' written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Other Christopher Nolan Movies:
- 'Following' (1998)
- ‘Memento' (2001)
- 'Insomnia' (2002)
- ‘Batman Begins' (2005)
- 'The Prestige' (2006)
- 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
- 'Inception' (2010)
- 'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012)
- 'Interstellar' (2014)
- 'Dunkirk (2017)
- 'Tenet' (2020)
