Let's read the script: 'Oppenheimer' star Cillian Murphy shows interest in playing Ken

Actor was excited about packed theatres in the summer

In the midst of the blockbuster success of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy has shown an interest in embracing a different shade of the film industry. With the craze surrounding Greta Gerwig's Barbie sweeping the nation, Murphy was recently asked about the possibility of playing Ken in a potential sequel to the now-historic comedy blockbuster.

When asked by Omelete (via Cinéfilos, reported by Variety) if he would consider portraying Ken, Murphy responded, "Sure, yeah. Let's read the script, let's have a conversation." The Peaky Blinders star added, "I can't wait to see Barbie. I think it's great for cinema to get all these great movies happening this summer."

Barbie made a splash during its opening weekend, raking in a massive $162 million. However, Oppenheimer, too, blew the box office away with an impressive $82 million, despite being a three-hour-long biographical drama with an R rating. Speaking to IGN ahead of both films' release, Nolan expressed his excitement about having two summer tentpoles hitting theatres simultaneously. "Summer, in a healthy marketplace, is always crowded, and we've been doing this a long time," he said. "I think for those of us who care about movies, we've been really waiting to have a crowded marketplace again, and now it's here, and that's terrific."

Murphy shared Nolan's sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for Barbie and the crowded marketplace. "I think it's great. I mean, I'll be going to see Barbie. I can't wait to see it. I think it's just great for the industry and for audiences that we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out the same day. Could spend a whole day in the cinema, what's better than that?"

As for the possibility of Murphy becoming Ken, it remains to be seen. Currently, the actor is still processing the profound experience of becoming J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who created the atomic bomb during World War II. Portraying the complex character required dramatic isolation and weight loss, prompting Robert Downey Jr. to commend Murphy's dedication, stating he had never seen an actor sacrifice more for a role than Murphy in Oppenheimer.

Murphy himself grappled with the moral complexity of Oppenheimer's character. "I do think that he believed [the atomic bomb] would be the weapon to end all wars," he recently shared with NME. "He thought that [having the bomb] would motivate countries to form a sort of nuclear world governance. He was naive."

In preparing for the role, Murphy revealed that Nolan played a pivotal role in helping him unlock the nuanced aspects of Oppenheimer's character. "Chris used this amazing phrase," he said. "We were talking about Oppenheimer's arc, and he said, 'You know, he's dancing between the raindrops morally.' That unlocked something in my mind when I was preparing."

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