One of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan, is known for keeping his upcoming projects under wraps. And his frequent collaborator, Cillian Murphy, has shared insight into the filmmaker’s practice in a recent interview with GQ. Murphy and Nolan have joined forces on numerous acclaimed films, such as Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, along with the most recent Oppenheimer, which has earned them Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Director, respectively.
And in his recent conversation with GQ Magazine, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed the long-standing tradition that the Oppenheimer director and his family have followed to maintain the secrecy around his projects.
Christopher Nolan’s Family Keeps Secrets of His Project
In his recent interview with GQ, Hollywood star Cillian Murphy revealed the measures taken by the Oppenheimer director to safeguard the secrecy around his projects. The actor recalled meeting the filmmaker in the fall of 2021 when Nolan personally flew to Ireland with a highly confidential document in hand, a script for his new project.
Murphy explained that the script, printed on red paper, was “supposedly photocopy-proof.” However, the photocopy-proof documentation is not the only measure the filmmaker takes to maintain the secrecy of his projects, as his family also has an intriguing role in the whole process.
Murphy, who has worked with the filmmaker in five movies, shared that every script from Christopher Nolan has been hand-delivered by either the director himself or one of his family members. “So, like, it’s been his mom who’s delivered the script to me before. Or his brother, he’ll go away and come back in three hours,” he shared.
The Peaky Blinders star further shared that although it helps to keep the story under wraps, it’s also about honoring their family tradition. “They’ve always done it this way, so why stop now? It does add a ritual to it,” Murphy said, asserting that he really appreciates Nolan’s family ritual.
Christopher Nolan’s Wife Was Shocked By Oppenheimer’s Success
Following J. Robert Oppenheimer’s story, Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film has become one of the most successful movies of his career. However, many had reservations surrounding its success, considering its subject matter and its three-hour-long running time.
In an interview with The New York Times, Nolan recounted the reservations leading up to the film’s release. “They were saying that to me until the night it opened,” he said before adding, “So that opening weekend was thrilling. The numbers coming in were defying all of our greatest hopes.”
Not only did Oppenheimer receive widespread acclaim from critics, but also soared at the box office, making over $950 million worldwide. It has now become the second-highest-grossing R-rated film and the highest-grossing biographical film of all time. The movie has also earned 13 nominations at the 96th Academy Awards.
“We always have done well putting challenging material out there,” he said before adding, “But it was a complete shock for Emma [Thomas]” Nolan”s wife and one of the producers of the film. Not just for Thomas, the actor also shared that the level at which the film worked was a shock to him as well.
Oppenheimer is available to stream on Peacock TV.
