Does Oppenheimer Have Deleted Scenes? Cillian Murphy's Answer May Surprise You
Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" is captivating moviegoers as its theatrical run continues, which is far from a surprise. With Nolan at the helm, a stacked cast of A-listers, and a fascinating historical story behind it, it was set up for success long before it debuted on the silver screen. However, one of the big sticking points of the slow-burn drama among many viewers is its massive three-hour runtime. That's a whole lot of movie for one sitting, so much that one has to wonder if Nolan omitted anything at all from the final cut.
According to "Oppenheimer" lead Cillian Murphy, fans aren't missing a single thing when they go to see it. "There's no deleted scenes in Chris Nolan movies," Murphy told Collider, adding, "The script is the movie. He knows exactly what's going to end up -– he's not fiddling around with it trying to change the story." So, even though three hours may seem like a tasking watch and may lead one to believe that some scenes could be cut out, if you ask Nolan, he'll assert that everything that needs to be present is indeed present.
While "Oppenheimer" may not have any deleted scenes to tack onto it when it releases on Blu-Ray and digital download, Murphy isn't quite correct in his claim that no Nolan movies have deleted scenes.
Nolan has trimmed some of his biggest movies just a bit
Alongside projects like "Inception" and "Interstellar," the Dark Knight trilogy is Christopher Nolan's most recognizable cinematic effort. "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," and "The Dark Knight Rises" have collectively become the stuff of comic book movie legend, going on to influence an entire era of superhero flicks. In addition to being an anomaly for being Nolan's only proper film trilogy, the Dark Knight saga also stands out in his filmography for having several deleted scenes and alternate takes.
Sadly, if you're looking to see all of what didn't make it to the final cuts of the Dark Knight trilogy films, you're largely out of luck. Over the years, many of these clips have become lost media or proven to be little more than rumors. Luckily, a scant few have lived on after being featured in various other movie-adjacent productions. For example, a commentary by Nolan reveals an alternate string of shots featuring the Joker (Heath Ledger) blowing up a hospital in 2008's "The Dark Knight." We're then treated to an unused scene that shows the villain making his escape in a school bus (nelissenindy on YouTube).
Though not all of his movies lack deleted scenes, "Oppenheimer" is proof that Christopher Nolan is as efficient a filmmaker as one can find. More often than not, he knows what he wants to see on the big screen, and he goes out and shoots it. No more, no less.