Cillian Murphy Shoots Down Idea Of ‘Oppenheimer’ Director’s Cut: “There’s No Deleted Scenes in Chris Nolan Movies”

One of the oddest aspects of filmmaking that fans seem to obsess over is run-time. Back in the old days, well before social media, a film was released and people consumed it. Then, if the director was interested in the idea, a Director’s Cut would eventually see the light of day. But now, people see reports of 4-hour assembly cuts of films and start speculating about all of the footage that isn’t included in the final cut. Not only that, they start campaigns to get the longer cut eventually released. Obviously, for most films, the assembly cut isn’t meant to be seen and the version that hits theaters is pretty damn close to the filmmaker’s true vision. But still, people love the idea of deleted scenes. Well, if you watched three hours of “Oppenheimer” and wondered what Christopher Nolan left on the cutting room floor, then the answer is pretty anticlimactic. You see, he doesn’t have any deleted scenes.

READ MORE: ‘Oppenheimer’: Dialogue In Film May Be Hard To Hear Because Christopher Nolan Doesn’t Re-Record Actors In Post-Production

Speaking in a recent interview with Collider, “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy was asked what sorts of scenes were cut from the final release of the most recent Christopher Nolan film. The actor then shared information about Nolan’s filmmaking process that is sure to disappoint those who love the idea of never-before-seen footage.

“There’s no deleted scenes in Chris Nolan movies,” Murphy explained. “That’s why there are no DVD extras on his movies because 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. That is the movie.”

READ MORE: Oliver Stone Calls ‘Oppenheimer’ “A Classic” and Says Nolan’s Direction Is “Mind-Boggling & Eye-Popping”

Of course, the Nolan method of shooting the script and including all of those scenes in the finished film isn’t the typical way movies are made. That obviously leaves very little room for improvisation, as well as removing studio notes and whatnot from the equation. This is very much a process that only someone with an immense amount of creative control, such as Nolan, would be able to achieve. 

So, if three hours of “Oppenheimer” wasn’t enough, or if you’re a Nolan Head who is desperate for more, more, more, then you’re just out of luck, sadly. You’ll just have to revisit your local IMAX screen and watch the epic in all of its glory once more.