Matt Damon Was Planning To Take A Break From Acting — Then This Happened

Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of the real J. Robert Oppenheimer, has been doing some press to help promote the new Christopher Nolan movie, which is now in theaters.

If you’re making a production with J. Robert Oppenheimer in it, your casting call is likely to include Cillian Murphy.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

When it comes to acting, Emily Blunt is a jack of all trades. While she’s still adored by fans for her role as neurotic PA to Meryl Streep in the The Devil Wears Prada, she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when it comes to movie roles.The British actress, who relocated to America in 2009 following her engagement to now-husband John Krasinski, stars in Oppenheimer, dubbed the biggest blockbuster of the year.The movie, which Emily describes as “extraordinarily emotional and immersive”, is clearly impactful, but the real power comes from her character Kitty – Oppenheimer’s wife. Contrary to any perceptions of a 50s housewife, Emily sees Kitty as “a fiery force of nature who was uncompromising” and empathises with Kitty as she didn’t see motherhood as “something that came naturally to someone like her”.

The Barbenheimer phenomenon just keeps going. To wit: there is so much energy happening at international box office turnstiles that Tuesday’s grosses on Warner Bros’ Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie and Universal’s Christopher Nolan opus Oppenheimer were down just 1% from Monday. The offshore gross through Tuesday on Barbie is now $258.5M with global at $472.6M.

“Barbie” director Greta Gerwig didn’t anticipate both the massive success of the fantastical film and the unprecedented right-wing backlash the film has received online.

The ‘Barbenheimer’ reign has no end in sight!

Matt Damon is getting personal. In conversation with his “Oppenheimer” costar Emily Blunt, Damon discussed his experience with kissing Scarlett Johansson for the film “We Bought a Zoo,” where he joked it was “hell.” Matt Damon’s emotional moment with wife Luciana Barroso: ‘She really helped me’Matt Damon negotiated with wife Luciana Barroso his ‘Oppenheimer’ roleThe answer was recorded in a video for LADBible for their “Agree To Disagree” segment, where Damon and Blunt were joking around. When speaking about bad breath and their costars, Damon had a funny story to share.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Before Christian Bale landed the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, the filmmaker screen-tested his “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy. Both men have since admitted that Murphy was never a real threat to steal the part from Bale, and Murphy told GQ Magazine UK in a recent interview that it “was for the best” that Bale won the coveted role over him anyway. “Yes, I think it was for the best because we got Christian Bale’s performance, which is a stunning interpretation of that role,” Murphy said.

“Oppenheimer.”The Nickelodeon alum, who starred in the 2004 Nick sitcom “Drake & Josh” alongside Miranda Cosgrove as his bratty but cunning little sister Megan, made a cameo in the drama as physicist Kenneth Bainbridge.However, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Peck, 36, made his famous “Megan” face in the film.The expression has since gone viral in the years after the show ended in 2007, with memes showing Peck scrunching his face and squinting his eyes while saying “Megan” after the youngster pulled a prank on him.Viewers raced to social media this week to remark on Peck’s signature facial expression in Nolan’s three-hour biographical flick about the man behind the atomic bomb — J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy).“At one point in ‘Oppenheimer’, josh peck makes this exact face and it almost took me out of the movie,” someone wrote alongside the iconic photo.I FOUND IT pic.twitter.com/OdPzQqsQL8“I FOUND IT,” another fan screamed next to a side-by-side shot of Peck in the show and in the movie.“Ok my only actual Oppenheimer take is that it’s so unbelievably funny to be watching an intense period piece and have to be like “is that… josh peck?” one guffawed.One joked that Megan was the one who helped build the bomb discussed in the movie.

Matt Damon's opening up about a kissing scene with Scarlett Johansson in their 2011 film, and there's a perfectly good reason why he described one particular kissing scene as «hell.»Taking part in 's «Agree to Disagree» with Emily Blunt, Damon and his co-star were discussing whether they agree or disagree it's only right to tell someone they have bad breath. They both agreed that they should — however as subtly as possible — before the topic of bad breath in intimate scenes was brought up by a producer. And that's when Damon spilled the tea.

Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. is praising him for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Matt Damon revealed why kissing Scarlett Johansson was "hell" one time while they were filming their 2011 family comedy "We Bought A Zoo." The 52-year-old actor and his "Opppenheimer" co-star Emily Blunt were discussing proper etiquette for shooting kissing scenes with co-stars in a recent video for LADBible.The two strongly agreed that tooth-brushing, using mouthwash and chewing gum was mandatory though Damon noted that he could "forgive some halitosis." During their conversation, the "Good Will Hunting" star recalled a less than pleasant onscreen smooch that he once shared Johansson, 38. "I had to kiss Scarlett Johansson — can you imagine how horrible that was for me?" Damon joked. "Can you imagine how awful that was?" Blunt quipped.

Matt Damon's 20-year relationship with Luciana Barroso feels so particularly magical.From their too-adorable-to-believe meet cute in a bar in Florida in 2003 to their heartwarming love story that they've managed to keep largely out of the media spotlight, Matt and Luciana have cultivated a romance that has stood the test of time and the challenges of being a celebrity under scrutiny.In celebration of their storybook romance — including a distinctly humble, low-key wedding, four adorable daughters and stunning red carpet date nights — ET is looking back at their relationship, from where it started to where they are now, two decades later.Matt and Luciana's paths first crossed when the actor was filming the comedy in Miami, Florida, in 2003. Matt was at a bar in South Beach after shooting ended for the day, and he noticed Luciana, who was a bartender.

Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer may have had one of the most stacked casts of all time — but most of the actors already had a place in our hearts.

Mad Max: Fury Road has been crowned the best film of the past 25 years on a list compiled by Rotten Tomatoes.To mark its 25th anniversary, the website asked approved critics to choose their top five films released in the last 25 years. The votes were then tallied and compiled into a top 25 list.George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road beat runners-up Parasite and David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr. which placed second and third respectively.

“Oppenheimer” is director Christopher Nolan’s first R-rated film in over 20 years due to its sexual content, nudity and explicit language. And one scene featuring a topless Florence Pugh has offended religious and government officials alike in India and the Middle East, who have taken action to censor the shot since the film’s global release.Pugh, 27, plays Jean Tatlock, a brilliant psychiatrist and communist who falls for physicist J.

Christopher Nolan‘s smash historic pic.On an “Agree to Disagree” segment for LADBible with Emily Blunt, who also stars in the thinking man’s blockbuster, Damon was asked whether or not you should tell someone when they have bad breath. Blunt and Damon didn’t hesitate to insist that you should always tell someone if their breath smells — which Blunt argued is particularly important while filming “intimate scenes” with co-stars.“There’s an etiquette,” Blunt said.

Cillian Murphy‘s wardrobe in Oppenheimer was partly inspired by David Bowie during his Thin White Duke era.The actor – who plays “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer in the new Christopher Nolan-directed epic – explained that the music icon provided inspiration for the clothing style worn by his character in the film, which came out Friday (July 21).“We worked very closely with our costume designer to design the clothes,” Murphy told MTV Movies.

Matt Damon has revealed the prank that made George Clooney the “maddest I’ve ever seen him”.The actors were on the set of 2004 film Ocean’s Twelve together and stayed at Clooney’s villa in Lake Como, Italy along with Brad Pitt when the prank in question was carried out.In a recent interview with CNN, Damon – whose newest film Oppenheimer came out Friday (July 21) – recalled a days-long prank executed by co-star Pitt which put avid prankster Clooney on the receiving end for once.Damon recalled how Pitt sent out letters as Clooney’s team in Italian to his Italian crew, which said they were not permitted to “look him in the eye at any time” and that they could not to refer to him as George, but only “Mr Clooney or Mr Ocean”.The actor added that Clooney was usually the “life of the set”, but eventually noticed that something was off.“He came home, and that’s the maddest I’ve ever seen him, because Brad got him,” he said.Damon added that Pitt “sat there and he just said, ‘Just leave everybody else around me out of it, just come just for me”.‘Leave other civilians out of it,” joked Damon in the interview.Pitt recently named his Burn After Reading co-star as one of his picks for “the most handsome men in the world”, joking: “I’ve got to name that George Clooney fucker, because why not?”Elsewhere, back in 2017, Clooney heaped praise on Damon by calling him “the greatest actor I’ve ever worked with”.“In fact, I don’t know a better actor I’ve seen in my life. I’m trying to think if there’s a better actor.

George Clooney is renowned as a prankster in Hollywood, and it turns out that he doesn’t like it when one of his famous friends gets one over on him.

Despite not stealing the top spot at the box office, “Oppenheimer” can still thank “Barbie” for bringing in some extra revenue.

Cillian Murphy honed his craft for nearly three decades before his Oppenheimer role made him one of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Matt Damon will never be able to escape his decision to turn down James Cameron’s 2009 space epic “Avatar,” which remains the highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.9 billion worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Damon turned down the film despite an offer that included receiving 10% of the box office back end, which would’ve meant a $250 million payday for him. During a recent interview with Chris Wallace, the “Avatar” offer got brought up again and prompted Damon to explain his thought process behind tossing it off. “I’m sure it’s the most money an actor ever turned down, you know?” Damon said about his decision, stressing that he did not want to get out of his contract for another Jason Bourne movie at the time.

Amy Schumer is giving her thoughts on Greta Gerwig's.On Monday, the comedian took to Instagram to give her take after taking part in the double feature dubbed «Barbenheimer,» which featured fans seeing both and Christopher Nolan's historical drama,  which opened on the same day.After watching both films, Schumer — who was originally set to play Barbie — shared her thoughts. «Really enjoyed Barbie and Oppenheimer but I think I should have played Emily Blunts role. Do better Hollywood,» she quipped next to a picture of her in a straw hat looking out of a pair of pink sunglasses. A post shared by @amyschumerIn 2016, it was announced that Schumer was set to play the lead role in a live-action film being developed about the iconic doll.

The mysterious sanctuary hidden away in the Jemez mountains was known only as Box 1663 in the mid 1950s. The mission of its 13,000 residents was to create “the gadget.” Living there was a challenge. “It’s a prison camp for eggheads,” whispered one scientist.

Barbie was more than it actually cost to make the film itself, it has been reported.Greta Gerwig‘s film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, came to cinemas on Friday (July 21).Ahead of its box office opening, the film hosted a host of marketing activities from making a real-life Barbie dreamhouse to pink burgers and beyond, as well as a social media-led meme trend pitting the film against Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer.Now, it has been reported by Variety that the marketing budget for the film was a staggering $150million (£117m), eclipsing the $145m (£113m) it cost to actually make the film itself.Barbie is currently set to outpace Oppenheimer at the box office over the two films’ shared opening weekend.As things stand, Gerwig’s comedy is set to bring in $110million (£86.6million) at the US box office this weekend, over twice the expected takings of Nolan’s biopic about the creator of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is expected to gross $50million (£38.8million).Barbie’s current takings mean it will break the record for the highest-opening film in the US by a female director. Wonder Woman previously held the title, bringing in £103million (£89.1million) in 2017.Warner Bros confirmed that Barbie had earned $22.3million (£17.3million) in box office previews – the highest figure of any film this year.

summer blockbuster “Oppenheimer” is surely not bombing at the box office, but there is one scene in the movie that isn’t hitting the right target.One moment in the three-hour film starring Cillian Murphy shows a historical error that viewers pointed out on Twitter.In the shot, the Irish actor, 47, stands in the middle of a crowd, who all clap and cheer for him while they wave American flags.The dramatic epic about the life of nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer takes place in the early 1940s, but the flags featured white stars that represent 50 states — despite the country only having 48 in 1945 when the scene took place.Hawaii and Alaska, the last two entities to be annexed to the United States, were not added until 1959.Eagle-eyed fan Andy Craig revealed the mistake on social media, sharing a snapshot of the scene, and his post quickly went viral.“It was good and all, but I’ll be that guy and complain they used 50-star flags in a scene set in 1945,” he tweeted.Other fans agreed with his discovery and even called out Nolan, 52, for the incorrect usage.“Totally ruined the film for me,” a person claimed.

took to Instagram on Monday to praise the new “Barbie” movie — six years after exiting the project herself.“Really enjoyed Barbie and Oppenheimer but I think I should have played Emily Blunts role,” Schumer jokingly captioned a photo of herself wearing sunglasses and a large, unflattering sun hat. “Do better Hollywood.”Schumer, 42, appeared to be referencing Blunt’s role as atomic bomb creator Oppenheimer’s wife, Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, in the new Christopher Nolan-directed film.

After months of filming, the cast and crew of both Barbie and Oppenheimer celebrated each other with thoughtful — and funny — gifts. 

Amy Schumer has offered her thoughts on Warner Bros’ Barbie years after exiting a different version of the film at Sony, also joking about the role in Uni’s Oppenheimer that she should have played, after finding herself among the many taking in the ‘Barbenheimer’ double feature over the weekend.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. In “Barbie,” Margot Robbie’s titular plastic doll ventures from Barbie Land to the real world to fix a gap in the space-time continuum that has caused her to have flat feet, intrusive thoughts of death and, even worse, cellulite. But while Barbie roller skates her way to the truth, Ryan Gosling’s Ken is experiencing an arguably even more spiritual journey, in which he learns of a utopian way of life called the patriarchy, in which Kens rule the world — or, at least, are respected enough to be asked what time it is. But Ken’s most critical moment of realization comes in his final scene, after crying on Barbie’s shoulder and coming to terms with the fact that, actually, it is enough to dedicate one’s life to “beaching.” He is “Kenough.”

“Oppenheimer” isn’t the first time Cillian Murphy topped a movie that hit the cultural zeitgeist. And yet, stardom didn’t quite spark for the Irish actor after Danny Boyle‘s 2002 genre hit “28 Days Later.” There were daring performances (“Breakfast on Pluto”) and fun villainous paycheck plays (“Red Eye”), but Murphy has spent the past two decades mostly in ensemble and supporting roles (on the big screen of course, but in the U.K.

Quentin Tarantino was spotted at a screening of Barbie in Los Angeles this weekend.The film came to cinemas on Friday (July 21), with huge anticipation around its release alongside Oppenheimer.On its first weekend, Tarantino was among millions to flock to see Greta Gerwig’s film and was spotted buying his ticket at the box office and then settling in to the screening by fans, who have shared photos online.Get a glimpse into Tarantino’s big day out below. It’s not clear whether he did the so-called ‘Barbenheimer’ double though.A post shared by IndieWire (@indiewire)As the films’ first weekend comes to a close, Barbie is currently set to outpace Oppenheimer at the box office.The films have been the subject of particular attention for coming out on the same day, with many people attempting to see both in the space of 24 hours.As things stand, Greta Gerwig’s comedy is set to bring in $110million (£86.6million) at the US box office this weekend, over twice the expected takings of Christopher Nolan’s biopic about the creator of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is expected to gross $50million (£38.8million).Barbie’s current takings mean it will break the record for the highest-opening film in the US by a female director. Wonder Woman previously held the title, bringing in £103million(£89.1million) in 2017.Warner Bros confirmed yesterday (July 21) that Barbie had earned $22.3million (£17.3million) in box office previews – the highest figure of any film this year.

Barbie‘s historic opening weekend at the box office proves we’re all living in Barbieland.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker with a gigantic talent and an even larger mystique. He can be a visionary storyteller — to see that, look no further than “Oppenheimer.” But if you’re a Nolan cultist-believer, the sort of Nolan-is-God devotee who thinks you’re only starting to “get” “The Prestige” when you’ve seen it four times, then his movies, with their spectacular convolutions and plots that loop around themselves, may exist for you in a realm that’s almost beyond story, a kind of rarefied Nolan Land of spellbinding cinematic purity.