Universal to Distribute New Nolan Film

Universal Pictures will finance and distribute director Christopher Nolan‘s newest film, according to Deadline. The film is based on a script written by Nolan about J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atom bomb.

Nolan’s decision to go with Universal comes in the fallout of his long-tenured relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio held the rights for a majority of Nolan’s films, including blockbusters Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and most recently Tenet.

The partnership soured following Warner Bros.’s decision to go with the day-and-date release strategy for the rest of its 2021 film slate. Tenet, originally scheduled for release in 2020 but was delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was included in this strategy. The director has been outspoken about the theatrical experience and seeing films on the largest screens and the loudest environment possible.

Deadline reports the bidding war came down to Universal, MGM and Sony, however no Warner Bros. Universal has distributed films such as F9, Old and Candyman just this year, with Halloween Kills still on the horizon.

Details revolving around Nolan’s new film are still scarce beyond the general premise. Oppenheimer, former director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, led the development of the atom bomb in a covert operation known as the Manhattan Project. These weapons would go on to be used against Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending World War II. Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas will produce the film under their production company Syncopy Inc. Longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy has been rumored to be in the mix for the lead role.

The story is still developing.

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