Director Christopher Nolan explains why he makes “large scale,” high-budget films. Nolan has been making films for over two decades, debuting in 1998 with his first feature, Following. Since then, Nolan has become a master of the high-concept blockbuster, directing movies such as Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and Inception. Last year, Nolan directed the ostentatious biopic Oppenheimer, which was nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
Speaking with Time magazine, the Oppenheimer director details why his films are such “large scale” projects. Because the director has access to the “resources,” he feels the onus is on him “to use them in the most productive and interesting way.” Check out the full quote from Nolan below:
“I’m drawn to working at a large scale because I know how fragile the opportunity to marshal those resources is. I know that there are so many filmmakers out there in the world who would give their eye teeth to have the resources I put together, and I feel I have the responsibility to use them in the most productive and interesting way.”
What Will Nolan’s Next Project Be?
In the same interview, Nolan stated that he would not be going back to a more scaled-back style. In truth, it has been over a decade since Nolan has chosen more subtle means to tell his story. After a lower key first three features, Nolan directed Batman Begins in 2005, which started the director’s era of merging high-quality storytelling with high-budget filmmaking. Since then, Nolan has never returned to the gritty feel of a film like his Memento, and his most recent statement makes it clear that he will not.
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Nolan’s most recent statements align with what the director has teased about his next project after Oppenheimer. Late last year, the director said that he wanted to make something “not as bleak” as Oppenheimer. While even Nolan’s more conventional blockbusters — such as Interstellar and The Dark Knight — take on heavy themes, the director’s description heavily implies a return to a more standard blockbuster film.
More specifics on the nature of said Nolan blockbuster have yet to be announced, but there are a number of rumors that Tenet 2 might be in development. These rumors were heightened by the fact that an IMAX re-release of Tenet was recently announced. This re-release is not a sure-fire sign of a sequel, but could be an indicator that the director and his team are trying to rebuild the hype for the film because of a sequel’s development. Time will tell as news of Nolan’s next “large scale” piece develops.
