Lupita Nyong’o has officially joined the impressive cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film for Universal Pictures. She joins an ensemble that already includes Zendaya, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway. Set for release on July 17, 2026—a mid-July date that has become a signature for Nolan’s summer blockbusters—the project promises to be another Imax spectacle from the acclaimed director.
Plot details and the film’s genre are still under wraps, and sources close to the production hint that earlier storyline reports are inaccurate, adding to the intrigue. Filming is slated to begin in early 2025. Written and directed by Nolan, this project follows his historic success with Oppenheimer, which not only earned him his first Oscar for Best Director but also became a global box office sensation, grossing $975 million. Oppenheimer won seven Academy Awards, cementing Nolan’s reputation as a master of both storytelling and spectacle, with hits like The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk under his belt.
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Nyong’o, who won an Academy Award for 12 Years a Slave, has yet to work with Nolan, though she recently partnered with Universal on this fall’s animated hit The Wild Robot, in which she voices the main character. Her diverse filmography includes roles in Marvel’s Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Jordan Peele’s horror thriller Us, and the upcoming sci-fi prequel A Quiet Place: Day One. Nyong’o also earned a Tony nomination for her performance in Eclipsed, a Broadway play written by her future Black Panther co-star Danai Gurira.