After 'Oppenheimer' Christopher Nolan gears up for his next period drama; cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya

Christopher Nolan’s last film, ‘ Oppenheimer’ was a box-office juggernaut. At $976 million, the biographical drama achieved the triple distinction of being the third highest-grossing movie of 2023, the highest-grossing movie on World War II, as well as the top-grossing biopic. Nolan is currently working on his next magnum opus.

As per a Deadline report, Nolan’s next ambitious project will have a stellar cast, which includes names such as Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway. Holland’s girlfriend and ‘Spiderman’ co-star Zendaya has also been roped in.

While plot details are under wraps, insiders suggest the film may be a period drama, though it’s uncertain if the story takes place in the past or future. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Nolan is producing alongside his wife and longtime collaborator, Emma Thomas, through their company Syncopy. Universal has scheduled the release for July 17, 2026.

Anne Hathaway will reunite with Nolan, having previously worked with him in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), where she portrayed Catwoman opposite Christian Bale's Batman, and in Interstellar (2014) alongside Matthew McConaughey in a sci-fi adventure. Matt Damon also returns to work with Nolan after Interstellar and last year's Oppenheimer, where he starred with Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Brendan Fraser, and Gary Oldman.

Aside from shattering box-office records, ‘Oppenheimer’ also dominated the award season. The Nolan directorial received nominations in thirteen major categories at the 96th Academy Awards and took home seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.

It also won five Golden Globe Awards, with Best Motion Picture – Drama among them, and received seven British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film. Additionally, the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named it one of the top ten films of 2023. Since its release, Oppenheimer has been celebrated as one of the greatest films of both the 2020s and the 21st century.

The film explores the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who spearheaded the development of nuclear weapons during World War II. Adapted from American Prometheus, the 2005 biography by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film delves into Oppenheimer's academic journey, his leadership at the Los Alamos Laboratory, and the impact of his 1954 security hearing.

Cillian Murphy led the cast as Oppenheimer, with Robert Downey Jr. portraying Lewis Strauss, a member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The star-studded supporting cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.