Oppenheimer Trailer: Cillian Murphy prepares for destruction as atomic scientist in Christopher Nolan directorial inspired by WWII

The epic thriller thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.

The first trailer of filmmaker Christopher Nolan's directorial Oppenheimer has been unveiled. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.

Oppenheimer Trailer: Cillian Murphy prepares for destruction as atomic scientist in Christopher Nolan directorial inspired by WWII

The trailer opens with the introduction of Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, a flawed and troubled man whose flaws are ignored by his sheer brilliance. He is asked to help end the Second World War and he introduces a nuclear weapon to be developed in secret that has the immense destructive power to end the fight. A haunting score plays in the background as the trailer teases, “We all know what happened there.” We see glimpses of destruction and aftermath.

They won’t fear it until they understand it. And they won’t understand it until they’ve used it. Watch the trailer for #Oppenheimer. In theaters 7 21 23. pic.twitter.com/nvbxOBCwur

— Oppenheimer (@OppenheimerFilm) December 19, 2022

The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Oscar-winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.

Oppenheimer also stars Oscar winner Rami Malek and reunites Nolan with eight-time Oscar-nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh. The cast includes Dane DeHaan, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich and Matthew Modine.

Oppenheimer is filmed in a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography including, for the first time ever, sections in IMAX black and white analogue photography. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is an IMAX-shot epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.

Universal Pictures has set the theatrical release date of July 21, 2023.