‘Oppenheimer’ Earns Christopher Nolan His First R Rating Since ‘Insomnia’

‘Oppenheimer’ has dropped a major bombshell: Christopher Nolan’s historical epic is rated R.

Variety reported that Nolan’s first film with Universal since parting ways with longtime distributor Warner Bros. has received an R rating and clocks in at just under three hours. This is Nolan’s first R rating since his 2002 thriller “Insomnia” and since 2000’s “Memento” before that. “Oppenheimer” follows the emotional implosion behind the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), as he creates the ultimate weapon during World War II.

The ensemble film also stars Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, Gary Oldman, James Remar, Josh Hartnett and Alden Ehrenreich.

Shot in IMAX and on film, “Oppenheimer” uses “11 miles of film stock” that weighs nearly 600 pounds, Nolan told the Associated press.

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“The sharpness, clarity and depth of the image are unmatched,” said the director. “The title, to me, is shooting on IMAX 70mm film, you’re really making the screen disappear. You’re getting a 3D feel without the glasses. You have a huge screen and fill the audience’s peripheral vision. You’re immersing them in the world of the film.”

Nolan added of the CGI-free recreation of the A-bomb: “We knew this had to be the twist. Now we’re able to do things with images that we could only do with sound before in terms of massive impact for the audience: an almost physical sense of response to film.

Nolan previously said that “Oppenheimer” is “one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever undertaken in terms of its scope and in terms of meeting the breadth of Oppenheimer’s story.”

The “Tenet” director shared, “There were big logistical challenges, big practical challenges. But I had an amazing crew and they really stepped up. It’ll be a while before we’re done. But definitely as I watch the results come in and as I’m putting the film together, I’m excited about what my team has been able to achieve.

‘Oppenheimer’ will premiere in theaters on July 21, sharing the same release date as ‘Barbie’. For all the details on “Oppenheimer”, click here.