Following the success of his mega budget biopic, Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolan has announced his commitment for creating cinematic spectacles on a grand scale. Despite starting his career with lower budget films, Nolan doesn’t have plans to revisit small scale dramas. Each of Nolan’s productions has witnessed a surge in costs, featuring lavish sets, A-list actors and the utilisation of IMAX shooting equipment. Meanwhile, the director’s back to back success at the box office has given him the opportunity to secure mega budgets, as studios are ready to invest in his ambitious visions. Interestingly, despite his inclination towards big budget productions, Nolan recently sat for an interview with Time Magazine and claimed that his recent favourite films are smaller dramas, Aftersun and Past Lives. However, Nolan explained why he would remain dedicated towards making expansive films.
The director called Aftersun, “a beautiful film,” and Past Lives was “subtle in a beautiful sort of way.” He added, “I’m drawn to working at a large scale because I know how fragile the opportunity to marshal those resources is. I know that there are so many filmmakers out there in the world who would give their eye teeth to have the resources I put together and I feel I have the responsibility to use them in the most productive and interesting way.”
Variety’s recent report sheds light on intriguing details about Christopher Nolan’s recent project, Oppenheimer. Unlike his previous thriller, Tenet, which had a staggering $200 million budget, the biopic based on the life of J Robert Oppenheimer was made with just a $100 million budget. Interestingly, the filmmaker completed filming his last film in approximately 60 days. Production designer Ruth De Jong disclosed Nolan’s strategic decision to cut around 30 filming days. This unusual move came into existence as the filmmaker wanted to reallocate the budget for production design and set locations.
The inspiration for Nolan’s Oppenheimer originated from the 2005 book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin. The book explores J Robert Oppenheimer’s life, starting with his funeral and then going back into his childhood and the development of the atomic bomb. However, Nolan wrote the screenplay for the movie beginning from 1926 when the scientist was studying physics at the University of Cambridge. The story then progresses to his return to the university, where he becomes professor before he’s hired by US Army Colonel Leslie Groves in 1942 to lead the Manhattan Project.
The Manhattan Project was a government program responsible for developing the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. J Robert Oppenheimer played a pivotal role in leading the project and claimed the lives of almost 2 lakh people.
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