Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie Could Secretly Be A Perfect Inception Sequel

An Inception sequel may have never been promised, but Christopher Nolan’s next rumored film has the potential to become a secret follow-up to the 2010 film. Most details surrounding Christopher Nolan’s next movie remain shrouded in mystery. However, after the director’s Oscar win for Oppenheimer, it is hard not to eagerly wait for his next film’s announcement. Although no official confirmations have been made surrounding Nolan’s next project, rumors suggest that it may be a remake of the acclaimed 1967 miniseries The Prisoner.

On the surface, The Prisoner does not share much common ground with Inception and unfolds more like a classic spy thriller with a few sci-fi elements. It revolves around a man who, after resigning from his government job, finds himself in a mysterious settlement called “The Village,” where every citizen has a number assigned to them instead of a name. However, a closer look at The Prisoner‘s story beats reveals that it might have the perfect setup to sell itself an Inception follow-up.

The Prisoner Has The Perfect Setup To Adopt Inception’s Dream Manipulation Lore

The Prisoner also dabbles with ideas surrounding dream manipulation and inception

In The Prisoner, an intriguing story arc focuses on dream manipulation and control. Its portrayal of dreams and their subconscious layers is not as meticulous and complex as Inception‘s. However, if Christopher Nolan creates a movie remake of the 1967 series, the show might have already given him the perfect setup to adopt Inception‘s dream manipulation lore. The dream manipulation arc in The Prisoner introduces two primary players: the protagonist, Number Six, and his adversary, Number Two. For several nights in a row, Number Two drugs Number Six and forces him to dream the same events of his life.

Inception‘s dream-sharing and control mechanics have a similar initial process in which characters use a fictional compound called Somnacin to trigger lucid dreaming and even mix the compound with concoctions of sedatives to make their dreams more stable. In The Prisoner, Number Two and a scientist also attempt to incept Number 6’s dreams by inserting different characters into them. While the process of inception highlighted in The Prisoner is significantly different from the one featured in the Nolan movie, the fact that it shows dream inception gives the remake the perfect opportunity to feature Inception‘s dreaming devices.

The Prisoner‘s dream manipulation arc takes an even more fascinating turn when Number 6 becomes aware of his dreams and uses his realization as a weapon to counter Number Two. Something similar happens in Inception‘s opening moments, where Saito’s keen sense of awareness helps him realize that he is in a dream within a dream. Given all the similarities between Inception and The Prisoner‘s dream manipulation arc, it would not be surprising if Nolan adopted some of Inception‘s solid dream lore and devices in the speculated remake.

The Prisoner Can Be Set In The Same Universe As Inception

The Prisoner would work better as an extension of Inception’s universe

Apart from dream manipulation, The Prisoner adopts several other enticing sci-fi concepts, like consciousness swapping and virtual reality. The show also has philosophical themes surrounding individualism, misuse of power, and the gradual erosion of personal freedom. With these ideas and themes, The Prisoner‘s movie remake could be rehashed as an Inception sequel. However, since The Prisoner and Inception have their own distinct identities, it would be better if Christopher Nolan’s The Prisoner unfolds in the same universe as Inception but not as its direct sequel.

This way, The Prisoner could expand the dream manipulation lore introduced in Inception without getting overshadowed by the 2010 Christopher Nolan film’s legacy or potentially confusing new audiences with unnecessary narrative continuity. By merely borrowing Inception‘s dream mythology and devices, The Prisoner would perfectly complement and coexist with the Nolan film, offering audiences both an extension and reinterpretation of the established concepts and notions in Inception. As a result, both Inception and The Prisoner remake would resonate with audiences in their own unique ways.

The Prisoner’s Inception Connection Would Make It Even More Exciting

The prospect of a shared cinematic universe would bring more eyes to The Prisoner’s remake

Christopher Nolan may not wholly embrace the full-fledged cinematic universe route with The Prisoner. However, even a few cross-references and narrative parallels between the remake and Inception could effectively raise anticipation and excitement surrounding the remake’s release because Inception still ranks among the director’s best works. Although Memento was the first film that helped Christopher Nolan garner attention as a director, Inception played a crucial role in putting him on the map and establishing that he was a creative force to be reckoned with.

Following his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s name will be enough to market his next movie. However, if it turns out to be The Prisoner‘s remake and draws connective threads with Inception, it would have a sense of familiarity that would help instill even greater levels of intrigue in audiences. Inception reveals that the dream sharing PASIV device was first designed by the military but never delves into the details of its origins. By adopting Inception‘s compelling ideas, The Prisoner could finally resolve these unexplored narrative avenues, which would enrich both movies’ narratives.

The Prisoner’s Inception Connection Would Break A Nolan Rule (But That’s OK)

Christopher Nolan has not shown interest in franchise expansions, but The Prisoner could change that

In a career spanning over two decades, the only franchise films Christopher Nolan has worked on are the three Batman movies. Outside The Dark Knight trilogy, the director has shown little to no interest in expanding the roots of his original films and has primarily focused on telling new stories with each new project. Therefore, if The Prisoner draws an Inception connection, it would technically break Nolan’s unwritten rule of not making sequels, prequels, or even spin-offs of his existing films.

However, considering Christopher Nolan’s directorial forte and ability to craft compelling stories, no one would complain if he drew subtle links between the two projects. Even though many franchise extensions seem redundant and forced, Nolan’s decision to set two of his movies in the same universe would be seen more as an evolution than a contradiction of his filmmaking philosophy because of his excellent reputation. For now, though, since no official announcements surrounding his next film have been made, one can only hope it will have sprinkles of Inception.