The Shocking Reason Why Christopher Nolan Will Never Stop Making Blockbusters

Summary

• Christopher Nolan is one of the most famous directors of our time, with millions of fans around the world.
• The filmmaker is famous for creating big-budget blockbusters.
• Nolan believes that he must continue to make large-scale productions while he has the opportunity.

Christopher Nolan has long enjoyed fame. As one of the most celebrated contemporary directors, he has been followed for years and his opinion is valued in the industry. Needless to say, Nolan's films have always attracted the attention of audiences and critics alike.

Since the release of Oppenheimer in the summer of 2023, Christopher Nolan has been the talk of the town, with many people expecting him to win the Best Director Academy Award at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards ceremony.

Recently, the filmmaker sparked new discussion when he announced that another of his blockbusters, Tenet, would be re-released in IMAX. It might seem that the director has a penchant for blockbusters, but it turns out that Nolan has a nobler reason for making them.

Making Blockbusters as an Obligation

If you look at Christopher Nolan's filmography, you'll see a number of large-scale, big-budget productions like Interstellar ($165 million budget), The Dark Knight trilogy ($585 million budget), and Inception ($160 million budget), but apparently the director himself is a fan of short films. For example, Aftersun and Past Lives are two of his favorite films from 2023.

At the same time, Nolan is adamant that he will never stray from making blockbusters, simply because as long as he can make them, it is his obligation to keep doing so.

'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,' Christopher Nolan shared with TIME.

A Controversial Point

Sure, Nolan's point of view may sound elitist to some, but the director is right, as sad as it is to realize. Hollywood remains a nepotistic place where connections and influence rule. That's why it's nearly impossible for new directors to secure the kind of major funding for a blockbuster that's typically made by industry giants like Nolan.

In other words, Christopher Nolan is stuck in a vicious circle: if he stops taking on big productions, there will be a lot fewer of them, because new, 'green' directors are unlikely to be trusted with huge Oppenheimer-like resources. So it's better to have a director like Nolan making your next blockbuster than not to have that movie at all.

Source: TIME.