THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW -- Episode 7I179-- Pictured: Lupita Nyong’o -- (Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal)

FILM & TV

Lupita Nyong’o Is the Latest to Join Christopher Nolan’s New Project

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal

Lupita Nyong’o is the latest addition to Christopher Nolan’s upcoming feature film, joining a stellar line-up.

The Oscar-winning actress, fresh off her role in A Quiet Place: Day One, has signed on for the secretive project, which Universal Pictures will release on July 17, 2026. The star-studded ensemble continues to grow.

Nyong’o joins an impressive cast of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya, all rumored to play critical roles. This film will mark Damon’s third collaboration with Nolan, following the success of Oppenheimer and Interstellar. While being a first for many, like Zendaya and Nyong’o.

Details surrounding the film remain under wraps, in true Nolan fashion. The public knows the director for keeping his plots hidden. His secretive nature, however, has not impeded the excitement surrounding the film’s premise.

Speculation has run wild, with rumors about a period vampire thriller circulating social media and an action-packed helicopter drama. Despite the increasing theories, sources state that insiders have emphasized that the storyline remains a closely guarded secret.

The Oscar-winning director, who wrote the screenplay and will direct the film, is producing alongside his wife, Emma Thomas, through their Syncopy production company. The project marks the filmmaker’s reunion with Universal Pictures, the studio behind his award-winning Oppenheimer, which grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide.

The success of the recent historical drama and Nolan’s reputation for delivering Oscar-nominated films have already raised expectations for his new project. Fans can’t help but express their excitement on social media and have started to put their ‘nominees’ for stars.

Nyong’o is no stranger to working with major studios. She previously starred in Jordan Peele’s Us for Universal and lent her voice to The Wild Robot, another Universal-backed hit. The new animated film is currently doing remarkably well in theaters. Her filmography also includes standout roles in 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther, and Wakanda Forever, making her one of the most renowned actresses in Hollywood.

The film is expected to begin shooting in the first half of 2025 and will be released in mid-2026, but production details remain tightly under wraps. While Universal has declined to comment on the project, Nyong’o’s casting alongside such a favored group of actors only heightens the excitement.