Sting was unlikely influence behind Christopher Nolan blockbuster Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan revealed that hearing Sting's 1985 hit song as a child inspired him to create Oppenheimer decades later.
Oppenheimer: Official trailer (2023)
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is one of the summer’s most-anticipated blockbusters, but the story behind the movie goes back decades for the director.
The 52-year-old revealed that British rockstar Sting was the real instigator behind the movie as he indirectly introduced a 12-year-old Christopher to Robert Oppenheimer.
The director revealed that he was listening to Sting’s 1985 hit Russians, a song based in politics around the Cold War.
One line in particular captured young Christophers' attention, which went: “If the Russians love their children too/How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy?”
Speaking at a roundtable with Oppenheimer stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr and Cillian Murphy, Christopher revealed to Entertainment Weekly: “I was growing up in the U.K. at a time when people were very concerned about nuclear armaments.
“When I was 12 or 13, myself and my friends were absolutely convinced that we were going to experience a nuclear war at some point in our lives.
“Oppenheimer stuck with me as a figure and I learned more about him over the years.”
The unlikely connection formed by the former Police bandmate in 1985 has now turned into one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the year with many fans opting for a double-bill alongside its box-office competitor Barbie.
As he began researching the scientist, one fact struck the director so deeply that he actually referenced it in his other iconic movies.
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Christopher discovered that the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, the project which ultimately created the first nuclear weapons, couldn’t say for certain whether an atomic bomb denotation would start a chain reaction causing a gloabl apocalypse.
He shared: “They couldn't completely eliminate the possibility. For me, that was kind of the hook.
“What would that have been like to push that button, knowing there was any possibility of that?”
Christopher later also discover the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer which further prompted him to create a movie out of the incredible moment in history.
Oppenheimer releases in cinemas today.
