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Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon will portray Lewis Strauss and Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, respectively, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Strauss was the chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission during the Manhattan Project who initiated the hearings questioning Oppenheimer\u2019s loyalty to the U.S. during the Red Scare. Groves, on the other hand, was the director of the Manhattan Project. According to Deadline, \u201cPearl Harbor\u201d star Josh Hartnett has also joined the cast in an undisclosed role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOppenheimer\u201d is set to release exclusively in theaters on July 21, 2023 and is backed by Universal Pictures, marking the first non-Warner Bros. produced film Nolan has made since 2000\u2019s \u201cMemento.\u201d With a budget of $100 million, the film represents a rare artistic and financial risk for Universal \u2014 industry experts estimate that \u201cOppenheimer\u201d will have to make around $400 million at the global box office to make a profit. However, with a cast full of star power and goldmine of interesting characters, \u201cOppenheimer\u201d could also prove that adults still have an appetite to see a film on the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Variety\u2018s Rebecca Rubin pointed out in her analysis of why the film could be the last of its kind, \u201cstudios are turning to filmmakers with unique perspectives who can launch a film based on their name alone. Privately, other Hollywood players have voiced their desire to see \u2018Oppenheimer\u2019 succeed because it would encourage studio executives and financiers to take more chances on new ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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