Tag: Christopher Nolan

Robert Pattinson To Reunite With Christopher Nolan For Mystery Film Joining Matt Damon & Tom Holland
Posted on in Film News, News

Robert Pattinson Reuniting With Christopher Nolan For Mystery Film Joining Matt Damon & Tom Holland

Director Christopher Nolan isn’t taking much of a rest after the massive success of “Oppenheimer” as he’s rounding out the cast for his next feature film at Universal and has landed another high-profile actor the filmmaker has worked with before.

Daniel Richtman revealed on his Patreon page that British actor Robert Pattinson (“The Batman”) would be reuniting with Nolan for the pic, and Deadline is backing up the claim with the actor set to play a character alongside Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and Lupita Nyong’o.

Pattinson previously worked with Nolan on the sci-fi spy flick “Tenet,” which was at the center of the director’s public frustration with Warner Bros., leading to the severing of his professional relationship with the studio and why he moved on to working with Universal Pictures for the Oscar-winning biopic “Oppenheimer.” From what we understand, Universal is hoping to become the homestead for Nolan and is willing to bankroll movies beyond this next one.

The mystery project already has a prime summer spot on Universal’s July 17, 2026 release slate.

We’re still in the dark about the film’s plot and who these actors will be playing within it. Trade reporters have dismissed the small group of various rumors concerning the plot, including some bonkers theories about vampires. Fans of Nolan are accustomed to his mystery-box element leading up to production, although we likely won’t have to wait too much longer before more concrete details.

Not unlike Holland getting ready to shoot “Spider-Man 4” this summer after wrapping on the Nolan, Pattison is also expected to shoot his own blockbuster superhero sequel later next year with Matt Reeves returning to co-write/direct “The Batman Part II” for a release on October 2, 2026. Colin Farrell recently confirmed he’ll be returning to shoot scenes as Gotham gangster Oz Cobb for the sequel after “The Penguin” spinoff series became a hit on HBO/Max. There is an expectation that Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis will also be reprising their respective roles as well.

SOURCE: DANIEL RICHTMAN & DEADLINE

Tom Holland Eyed For Lead Role In Christopher Nolan's Mystery Film Shooting Early Next Year
Posted on in Film News, News

Tom Holland Eyed For Lead Role In Christopher Nolan’s Mystery Film Shooting Early Next Year

While British actor Tom Holland recently took a sabbatical from feature film work to do a run of “Romeo & Juliet” on stage, he’s filling up his dance card nicely. His next big project looks to be finally connecting with Christopher Nolan, who is making an untitled mystery film at Universal Pictures that had Matt Damon (“Oppenheimer”) expected to star. A new report from Deadline says that Holland is also circling a lead part in the project and is reportedly aiming to begin “shooting in early 2025.”

The next Nolan pic has already landed a July 17, 2026, release date from Univeral ahead of the film’s production start.

The Hollywood Reporter also reveals that delays on “Spider-Man 4” are potentially the reason why Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune Messiah” isn’t likely to shoot until 2026, backing up recent comments made by the director. Zendaya, of course, is expected to have major roles in both blockbusters. This all would suggest that the fourth installment won’t be hitting an early 2025 production start after there had been some rumblings online about a push into the summer.

It’s still yet to be confirmed if Holland is even going to be participating in “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Avengers: Secret Wars,” let alone the scale of his role in the massive two-part superhero ensemble event film. More realistic for Holland to have simply the same scale role he had in the two previous “Avengers” installments, and it’s lucky on the part of Marvel Studios that all three MCU movies will be shot in proximity of each other in the United Kingdom, making shooting scenes between projects much more logistical for the actor.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Christopher Nolan Looking To Reunite With Matt Damon For Untitled Mystery Film At Universal Releasing July 17, 2026
Posted on in Film News, News

Christopher Nolan Looking To Reunite With Matt Damon For Untitled Mystery Film At Universal Releasing July 17, 2026

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan is still riding high from his massively successful atomic bomb drama Oppenheimer, and we now have some idea of what his next feature film will be and when we’ll see it on the big screen. Deadline reports that Nolan will be re-teaming with Universal Pictures (after severing his longtime relationship with Warner Bros.) for yet another feature film that Matt Damon (“Oppenheimer”) is reportedly eyeing a lead role.

Not only that, but it already has a planned release date of July 17, 2026, which would likely mean Universal has greenlit the film and is now feet-first into the casting/pre-production stages.

Filming is expected to begin in early 2025, which, of course, means that we’ll likely receive a lot of casting news and more details in the coming weeks and months.

“Oppenheimer” not only won seven Academy Awards (for Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography) in 2024 but gave Universal a huge box office earner that summer with the R-rated drama amassing an impressive $975.5 million at the global box office. It got a major boost via the organic online theatrical marketing campaign Barbenheimer that attempted to get audiences to see both “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” as they opened the same weekend, but both became two of the biggest films of 2023.

The partnership between Nolan and Universal is seemingly going to be cemented here, and we shouldn’t be all that shocked if this ends up being the director’s new homestead studio for the foreseeable future.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

Christopher Nolan Praises David Fincher’s Critically-Panned Debut ‘Alien 3’ As “Great” & “Remarkable”

I think we’re all extremely fascinated by filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”) and knowing what films he enjoys is very much going to be something hardcore fans are going to over-analyze given how much he openly homages cinematic benchmarks. In the past, Nolan has spoken out about his love for the “Fast & Furious” franchise, specifically “Tokyo Drift.” More recently he said both Stanley Kurbick’s sci-fi masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Adam McKay’s sports comedy “Tallagada Nights” were movies he’d always stop to watch if he saw them playing on television.

Another perplexing but still interesting selection was briefly praised by Nolan during his interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast (See below). The subject of trailers came up along with Ridley Scott’s original 1979 “Alien” being referenced and host Josh Horowitz was quick to mention how the original teaser for David Fincher‘s “Alien 3” got ahead of what they were actually doing it teased an Earthbound setting that never happened.

Nolan would go on to say the following about the third installment, “And you know, Fincher has famously talked about how unhappy he was with it and how it changed. I think it’s a great movie but I think his work on that is remarkable.”

David Fincher and Sigourney Weaver on the set of “Alien 3” – 20th Century Studios/Disney

Of course, it wasn’t just Fincher unhappy with the producers/20th Century Fox’s everchanging ideas before, during, and in the final version. “Alien 3” was both a critical and financial failure, with the brass throwing the first-time feature director under the bus instead of self-reflection for all their micromanaging and narrative mistakes. You could forgive Fincher for trying to speak on the subject for the better half of 30 years.

Given the commercial success of the first two films, it was seen as a franchise low-point until “Alien Resurrection” ultimately became the final nail in the coffin despite three separate attempts to get an “Alien 5” going with Sigourney Weaver. Since 1992, a lot of sci-fi fans have warmed up to the film for its fantastic production design and painstaking attempt to honor that universe overseen by the evil corporation Weyland-Yuanti. Although, the movie does have some glaring issues like the mixed performances of the supporting cast and extremely wonky visual effects of the Xenomorph.

We already know Nolan’s affinity for both the James Bond movies and “Star Wars,” but it’s certainly interesting to hear him talk about the “Alien” franchise. While under Disney’s new ownership, there is an Earthbouth streaming series at FX/Hulu currently filming in Thailand and theatrical film on the horizon. I don’t think many fans would be terribly upset if Nolan eventually tried to tell a story within that universe, at some point, but hasn’t suggested there is any pressing desire to do so.

SOURCE: HAPPY SAD CONFUSED PODCAST

Posted on in Film News, News

Christopher Nolan Calls Hypothetical Opportunity To Direct Next James Bond Movie “An Amazing Privilege”

Christopher Nolan‘s massive atomic bomb biopic “Oppenheimer” is out in theaters and it’s already gathering quite the following as the writer/director famously took the project to auction after exiting his longtime working relationship with Warner Bros. and the pricey R-rated drama landed at the feet of Universal Pictures. While Nolan is in an excellent position to keep developing original projects and putting each on to auction to get the best possible situation (theatrical windows, budget, casting freedom, and final cut) it looks like he’s still very much open to the idea of tackling James Bond.

While speaking with host Josh Horowitz on his fantastic podcast Happy Sad Confused (Listen below), the director was asked about his current feelings about potentially tackling the next incarnation of Bond as the looming reboot affectionately referred to as “Bond 26” or any future installment. This comes after years of expressing his love for the franchise and tempted interest in actually getting involved.

“The influence of those movies in my filmography is embarrassingly apparent. It would be an amazing privilege to do one,” Nolan told the podcast when Bond was brought up. “At the same time, when you take on a character like that you’re working with a particular set of constraints.”

“It has to be the right moment in your creative life where you can express what you want to express and really burrow into something within the appropriate constraints because you would never want to take on something like that and do it wrong.”

He continued, ““You wouldn’t want to take on a film without being fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively. So as a writer, casting, everything — it’s a full package. You’d have to be really needed and wanted in terms of bringing the totality of what you bring to a character. Otherwise, I’m very happy to be first in line to see whatever they do.”

As a fan of Nolan’s work, it’s extremely hard to watch his action-focused projects like “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” “Inception,” and “Tenet” without seeing the obvious influence the Bond franchise has had on him when it comes to bombastic blockbuster filmmaking.

Nolan isn’t the only one that has expressed a large interest in tackling the James Bond character over the years and it’s worth highlighting that French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (“Dune,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “Sicaro”) stated that getting a crack at 007 was a big dream for him as well.

Despite various tabloid rumblings, EON Productions and MGM Studios (now owned by parent company Amazon) haven’t officially decided on either a director or the next actor to portray the iconic MI6 agent. Although, there had been some indication that Aaron Taylor-Johnson “might” be in the mix given he’s actually in the age range for the role (EON says they’re aiming for someone in their 30s ruling out a heap of longtime rumored “contenders”). Interestingly enough, Nolan and Taylor-Johnson have previously worked together on “Tenet” and a reunion wouldn’t be that terribly shocking.

“Oppenheimer” is currently in theaters and you can listen to that full interview with Nolan below.

Posted on in News

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Taps Kenneth Branagh, Jason Clarke, Alden Ehrenreich & More As Filming Begins On The WWII Drama

Filming on Christopher Nolan’s next movie has begun, as his WWII drama Oppenheimer will focus on J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb for the U.S. military that was unleashed on Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands and in the process ending the war.

The high-profile project has added even more interesting names.

The latest additions to the call-sheet include Kenneth Branagh, Jason Clarke, Alden Ehrenreich, Jack Quaid, and David Krumholtz.

They join a stacked cast that already consists of Cillian Murphy playing the titular Oppenheimer alongside Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Dane DeHaan, Dylan Arnold, and Matthew Modine.

It’ll be interesting to see if Christopher Nolan will attempt to document the Pacific War and the Japanese side of the story along with the civilians that were essentially erased from the planet as part of a power move by the United States to end the bloody South Pacific campaign with an extreme show of force before having to invade the mainland of Japan. It was one of the darkest moments in human history.

However, hiring a mostly all-white group of actors would suggest they’ll only be coming from allies’ perspective of the war.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will reunite with Nolan after working on, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet along with Oscar-winning Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Tenet, Black Panther, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) being part of the crew.

Universal Pictures will release Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in News

‘Oppenheimer’: Matt Damon & Robert Downey Jr. Are Joining Christopher Nolan’s Atomic Bomb Movie

Christopher Nolan is returning to World War II after tackling Dunkirk, with a new biopic that will focus on J. Robert Oppenheimer that helped create the atomic bomb for the United States military.

J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project ultimately led to the surrender of the Japanese after two atomic bombs were unleashed upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. military, killing countless civilians in an instant and even more than that slowly/painfully over time.

Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt have previously taken key roles on the project and two other actors have reportedly joined.

Deadline reveals that Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. are in talks to take unnamed roles. Damon previously worked with Nolan on the sci-fi drama Interstellar.

Cameras are expected to roll in early 2022. Universal Pictures won a bidding war to secure Oppenheimer after Christopher Nolan decided to part ways with Warner Bros. and the pic has an exclusive theatrical release window. It debuts on July 21, 2023.

It’ll be interesting to see if Christopher Nolan will attempt to document the Pacific War and the Japanese side of the story along with the civilians that were essentially erased from the planet as part of a power move by the United States to end the bloody South Pacific campaign with an extreme show of force before having to invade the mainland of Japan. It was one of the darkest moments in human history.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will reunite with Nolan after working on, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet along with Oscar-winning Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Tenet, Black Panther, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) joining the film too.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

‘Oppenheimer’: Emily Blunt In Talks To Join Christopher Nolan’s Atomic Bomb Movie

Christopher Nolan is reportedly zeroing in on the female lead for his new WWII film Oppenheimer, which focuses on J. Robert Oppenheimer’s creation of the atomic bomb that was unleashed upon Japan. Irish actor Cillian Murphy (Inception, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight Trilogy) is playing Oppenheimer.

Deadline reports that actress Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow, Looper, Sicario) is now in talks to play Kitty Oppenheimer, the wife of Murphy’s character.

Blunt and Murphy recently co-starred together in the sci-fi horror flick A Quiet Place Part II.

J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project ultimately led to the surrender of the Japanese after two atomic bombs were unleashed upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. military, killing countless civilians in an instant and even more than that slowly/painfully over time.

I’m extremely curious if Christopher Nolan will attempt to document the Pacific War and the Japanese side of the story along with the civilians that were essentially erased from the planet as part of a power move by the United States to end the bloody South Pacific campaign with an extreme show of force before having to invade the mainland of Japan. It was one of the darkest moments in human history.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will reunite with Nolan after working on, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet along with Oscar-winning Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Tenet, Black Panther, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) joining the film too.

The project recently found a home at Universal Pictures (after a bidding war) with production said to begin in early 2022 and the studio recently committed to a 100-day theatrical release.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News, News

Cillian Murphy Confirmed To Play J. Robert Oppenheimer In Christopher Nolan’s Atomic Bomb Film ‘Oppenheimer’ Releasing July 2023

Director Christopher Nolan had been shopping around a new World War II film project to multiple studios about J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project. His work ultimately led to the surrender of the Japanese after two atomic bombs were unleashed upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. military, killing countless civilians in an instant and even more than that slowly/painfully over time.

The project, Oppenheimer, found a home at Universal Pictures (after a bidding war) with production said to begin in early 2022 and the studio recently committed to a 100-day theatrical release.

Now, it’s been confirmed by Deadline that Irish actor Cillian Murphy has indeed landed the Oppenheimer lead role and the drama has nabbed the release date of July 21, 2023.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will reunite with Nolan after working on, Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet along with Oscar-winning Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Tenet, Black Panther, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) joining the film too.

Murphy had been long in the mix for the role and has previously worked with Nolan on The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Christopher Nolan’s WWII Film About J. Robert Oppenheimer Lands At Universal & Begins Filming In 2022

Director Christopher Nolan has been shopping around a new World War II film project to multiple studios about J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project. His work ultimately led to the surrender of the Japanese after two atomic bombs were unleashed upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. military, killing countless civilians in an instant and even more than that slowly/painfully over time.

Deadline has an update that Universal Pictures has landed the new project with production expected to begin shooting in the first quarter of 2022. This would end Nolan’s run with longtime studio partner Warner Bros. Pictures and remains to be seen if Universal will get first dibs on future films.

The report adds that Warner Bros. wasn’t in the mix for the WWII film, but Universal, Sony, and MGM were.

Nolan’s muse Cillian Murphy (Inception, Batman Begins, Dunkirk) had been previously mentioned for the role of Oppenheimer, but it doesn’t sound like it’s a lock.

I’m extremely curious if Christopher Nolan will attempt to document the Pacific War and the Japanese side of the story along with the civilians that were essentially erased from the planet as part of power move by the United States to end the bloody South Pacific campaign with an extreme show of force. One of the darkest moments in human history.

It’s really not that shocking that Christopher Nolan would attempt to explore this part of history, all you have to do is look at Nolan’s films The Dark Knight Rises and Tenet to understand the filmmaker’s obsession with nuclear armament.

You might remember that Christopher Nolan wasn’t terribly happy how Tenet was released during the pandemic in 2020 (conflicting trade reports blame both Warner Bros. and Nolan for that hiccup with various “sources” finger pointing to each other’s camp). However, when WarnerMedia announced their plans for a hybrid release for all 2021 releases to promote HBO Max, that seemed to be the final straw for the filmmaker and signs that his longtime relationship with Warner Bros. has come to an end.

Universal Pictures recently released F9: The Fast Saga (Nolan is admittedly a fan of Tokyo Drift), are distribution partners on No Time To Die (Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond), and behind the upcoming horror flick Halloween Kills.

A release date for the untitled film is likely heading towards 2023.

SOURCE: DEADLINE