Cillian Murphy has opened up about why he keeps working alongside Christopher Nolan, following his casting in the director's upcoming project, Oppenheimer. The biopic, which is set for release next year, will tell the story of theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is often referred to throughout history as the "father of the atomic bomb." Murphy is set to star as Oppenheimer himself, alongside an impressive array of names such as Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr.

Murphy's history with Nolan spans a number of highly successful projects, beginning with the Irish actor's appearances as Scarecrow across Nolan's beloved The Dark Knight trilogy. After initially screen testing for the role of Bruce Wayne, Nolan cast Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane, and so began the pair's ongoing partnership. Their pairing would see Murphy subsequently cast in Nolan's Inception and Dunkirk in 2010 and 2017, respectively. News that Murphy would be joining the star-studded cast of Oppenheimer came as no surprise to many, as Murphy's name has since become somewhat synonymous with Nolan projects. Now, Murphy has opened up about working with the Oscar-nominated director, and why he continues to do so.

Related: Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

In conversation with The Guardian, while discussing his final appearance as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders season 6, Murphy talked working with Nolan, sharing that he will "always turn up" for the director. The actor went on to say regardless of the size of the role that Nolan wants him to appear in, he will always take the part. Murphy continued by revealing an admiration for Nolan's approach to filmmaking, stating that he "thinks [Nolan] is flying the flag" for the film industry, with movies shot on film rather than IMAX. Check out Murphy's full quote below.

"I’ll always turn up for Chris, whatever the size of the part. Chris will call me up and I’m there. Isn’t it wonderful that filmmakers are still making challenging, demanding films within the studio system, shot on film rather than Imax? I think he’s flying the flag. Him, Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, are fantastic filmmakers making interesting work on a massive scale."

The Dark Knight Rises Scarecrow

Many would likely agree with Murphy's comparison of Nolan's work to that of Anderson and Tarantino, as Nolan is no stranger to displaying his intricate storytelling on a massive scale. The actor previously referred to Nolan as "one of the greatest living directors," so it is clear that the pair have a deep mutual respect for one another's crafts. Murphy previously revealed that he was shocked but thrilled that Nolan had cast him as the lead in Oppenheimer, given that his previous collaborations with the director have seen him take on more of a supporting role.

It's looking to be a busy start to 2022 for Murphy, as production on Oppenheimer is set to begin fresh off the release of Peaky Blinders season 6, which hits screens later this month. The biopic's production will be working with a $100 million dollar budget and, as usual, audiences can expect Nolan to put his own unique twist on the story. What's more, given its already star-studded cast, it will certainly be exciting to see what the Tenet director has in store for his latest historical project. As for now, there is still a while to wait to see what this latest Murphy and Nolan partnership brings when Oppenheimer hits the big screen in 2023 and Murphy steps into a leading man role.

Next: Can Nolan's Oppenheimer Movie Recover From Tenet's Missteps?

Source: The Guardian

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