'Luckiest' Oppenheimer biographer rooting for Oscar wins

LOS ANGELES

Kai Bird has just returned from the Jaipur literature festival, where he signed countless copies of his two-decade-old book for hundreds of young Indians who all watched the film "Oppenheimer."

"American Prometheus," Bird's Pulitzer-winning biography of the father of the atomic bomb, was the basis for the $1 billion-grossing global smash hit movie that is tipped to dominate the Oscars on Sunday.

"It's really an astonishing phenomenon," Bird told AFP. "I'm probably the luckiest biographer on the planet," he added.

Christopher Nolan's drama was the fourth attempt to adapt Bird and Martin Sherwin's 720-page opus about J. Robert Oppenheimer. Previous efforts had failed to convince Hollywood studio bosses, who found the material too difficult, controversial or complicated, explained Bird.

"I'm actually glad in retrospect, because Nolan came along. And he did something, I think, that is quite special," he said.

Nolan's film hews closely to the 2005 book, often lifting entire lines of dialogue. Bird was involved in the adaptation process.

He first met Nolan for tea in New York in September 2021. The director had been given the book six months earlier, had already written a screenplay, and was about to fly to Ireland to pitch the project to his leading man, Cillian Murphy.

Bird later visited the movie's set in New Mexico, where he was introduced to Murphy during a break in filming.

"As he approached, I couldn't resist -- I shouted out 'Oh, Dr. Oppenheimer, I've been waiting for decades to meet you!'" said Bird.

Even at three hours, Nolan's film cannot possibly capture all the information of a book that took 25 years to research and write.

In the biography, Bird and Sherwin revisit Oppenheimer's wealthy childhood, spent in a luxurious New York apartment adorned with art by Picasso, Cezanne and Van Gogh, attended by nannies and chauffeurs.

On March 10, Bird and his wife will attend the Oscars in Hollywood. They will be rooting for "Oppenheimer" across its 13 nominations, but in particular for best adapted screenplay.

Should "Oppenheimer" win best picture, as widely expected, Nolan's speech may well include his oft-repeated belief that Oppenheimer was the most important person who has ever lived.