Christopher Nolan says nuclear explosion in Oppenheimer was done without CGI
For Christopher Nolan's next movie Oppenheimer the first nuclear weapon detonation was recreated without using any CGI effects.
Director Christopher Nolan's next Oppenheimer is one of the most anticipated films of next year. The director has now shared that the production for the film recreated the first nuclear weapon detonation without taking the help of any additional CGI effects. (Also read: Oppenheimer teaser: Christopher Nolan's next on 'father of atomic bomb' looks explosive and horrifying. Watch)
The filmmaker behind acclaimed films like Inception and Interstellar is known for mind-bending thrillers combined with thrilling visual effects. Talking about Oppenheimer, Christopher said that recreating the Trinity test [the first nuclear weapon detonation, in New Mexico] without the use of CGI was an extreme decision to pull off.
In the discussion with Total Film Magazine, as reported by Variety, the director added, "Andrew Jackson -- my visual effects supervisor, I got him on board early on -- was looking at how we could do a lot of the visual elements of the film practically, from representing quantum dynamics and quantum physics to the Trinity test itself, to recreating, with my team, Los Alamos up on a mesa in New Mexico in extraordinary weather, a lot of which was needed for the film, in terms of the very harsh conditions out there -- there were huge practical challenges."
The filmmaker called Oppenheimer the most challenging film of his career so far. He further commented on the scope of doing justice to the story. "There were big, logistical challenges, big practical challenges. But I had an extraordinary crew, and they really stepped up. It will be a while before we're finished. But certainly, as I watch the results come in, and as I'm putting the film together, I'm thrilled with what my team has been able to achieve," said the director.
Oppenehimer stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was a leading figure in the Manhattan Project and enabled the process of creating the atomic bomb during World War II. The film also stars Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Michael Angarano and Kenneth Branagh.
Oppenheimer is set to release on July 21, 2023. It 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.