Christopher Nolan has had discussions with several major studios about his next project, a film about atom bomb developer J. Robert Oppenheimer. Actor Cillian Murphy might star in the project [Deadline].

Sources say that Nolan and his camp are talking to Sony and Universal, with conversations also taking place with Warners. The talks are at the highest executive levels. Universal and Warners had no comment while Sony could not be reached for comment. [THR]

The film would carry a substantial budget, believed to be over $100 million, which could make it less attractive for some studios.

This is Nolan going back to “Dunkirk” territory after the misguided sci-fi experiment that was “Tenet.” Of course, this sounds a bit more like a biopic, so it could very well end up being primo Oscar bait.