Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan reveals he recreated a nuclear explosion without CGI; says, “There were huge practical challenges”
In a world where top-notch directors are opting for CGI and VFX to get realistic visuals for their respective films, celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nolan chose not to use computer-generated effects for his upcoming atomic bomb origin story Oppenheimer. According to Variety, Christopher Nolan revealed in a recent interview, with Total Film magazine, that he recreated the first nuclear weapon detonation without CGI effects as part of the production for his new movie. As the report shares, Nolan has always favored practical effects over VFX (he even blew up a real Boeing 747 for Tenet.) “I think recreating the Trinity test [the first nuclear weapon detonation, in New Mexico] without the use of computer graphics was a huge challenge to take on,” Nolan said.
He continued, “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.”
Oppenheimer is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’ by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. In Nolan’s upcoming biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Murphy portrays Oppenheimer, one of the fathers of the A-bomb during the Second World War, who later found his loyalty to the United States questioned by hawkish government officials.
Further in the conversation, the Interstellar director went on to call Oppenheimer a “story of immense scope and scale,” adding, “It’s one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever taken on in terms of the scale of it, and in terms of encountering the breadth of Oppenheimer’s 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 are 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.”
As per the report, Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema reunited once again with Nolan for Oppenheimer and the two have reportedly developed an IMAX Film experience for the upcoming biopic film. “We challenged the people at Kodak photochem to make this work for us,” Nolan shared. “And they stepped up. For the first time ever, we were able to shoot IMAX film in black-and-white. And the results were thrilling and extraordinary. As soon as Hoyte [van Hoytema, Nolan’s cinematographer since ‘Interstellar’] and I saw the first tests come in, we just knew that this was a format that we were immediately in love with.”
The star-studded cast also includes Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich and David Krumholtz. Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission; Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project; Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock; Benny Safdie is theoretical physicist Edward Teller; Michael Angarano takes on Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.
Universal has set the theatrical release date of July 21, 2023.
source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-reveals-recreated-nuclear-explosion-without-cgi-says-huge-practical-challenges/
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