Lupita Nyong’o Joins the Star-Studded Cast of Christopher Nolan’s Next Film

Lupita Nyong’o is the latest boldfaced name to join the buzzy ensemble of Christopher Nolan‘s next film.

Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway are among the A-listers who are expected to star in the untitled movie, which is otherwise shrouded in secrecy. It will release in theaters on July 17, 2026.

Universal had no comment about Nyong’o’s casting.

The upcoming feature is expected to start shooting in early 2025. Plot details as well as the genre haven’t been confirmed. Nolan is writing and directing the movie for Universal Pictures, the studio behind the filmmaker’s best picture-winning historical epic “Oppenheimer.” Nolan was awarded the first directing Oscar of his career for “Oppenheimer,” a three-hour, R-rated period piece about the creation of the atomic bomb. In addition to awards glory (the film won seven Academy Awards in total), “Oppenheimer” became a box office juggernaut with $975 million globally. Nolan’s other blockbusters include “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception” and “Dunkirk.”

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Nyong’o, an Oscar winner for “12 Years a Slave,” has yet to work with Nolan, but she’s recently collaborated with Universal on this fall’s unexpected box office triumph “The Wild Robot,” an animated adventure in which she voices the main character. The 41-year-old actor’s expansive resume includes Marvel’s “Black Panther” and the sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Jordan Peele’s horror thriller “Us” and the post-apocalyptic sci-fi prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One.” Nyong’o also scored a Tony nomination for the 2009 Broadway play “Eclipsed,” written by her future “Black Panther” co-star Danai Gurira.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news about Nyong’o’s casting.