Inside The Studios’ (And Apple’s) Frenzy To Get Christopher Nolan’s Next Film

Universal, Sony, and Apple decided to give complete control to Christopher Nolan after trekking in the Hollywood Hills. So last week, the trio Donna Langley, Tom Rothman, and Jim Gianopulos set foot in Nolan’s post production facility. But, of course, there is no negotiation when you talk to the most successful filmmakers of the world, so the trio just went in, and things magically worked in their favor.

Christopher Nolan’s Journey In Hollywood Filmmaking

The acclaimed director of the Dark Knight trilogy has worked with Warner Bros since 2002. But, over the years, their relationship witnessed some bad phases, and with the release of Tenet, it had been wholly frayed. Previously the Warners, and Nolan used to have mutual views on release dates, but their conflicts soon took a much worse turn. 

According to sources, Warners pushed the release of ‘Tenet’ thrice before finally releasing it in September. But it did not impress the audience so much, and the film got mixed reviews. It was the first setback in Nolan’s filmmaking career. He got even more pissed when the studio decided to put the 2021 calendar in a day-and-date release game plan collaborating with HBO Max. 

We don’t have any confirmed news on whether the Warner brothers drove to the Nolan estate or not. But, if they did not, it means the closure of a two-decade relationship. Nolan does not comment on this issue.

New Opportunity, New Beginning

However, another door opened for Nolan. During this humdrum between the ‘Inception’ director and the Warner Bros studio, the tech giant Apple Studio dived at this opportunity. Of course, Apple Studio is already making movies with Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, and Scarlett Johannson. But, this time, the collaboration between Apple, Sony, and Universal Studios chose to take the most successful director under their roof. 

According to Nolan, the new film will be a small-scale feature, and it will have a production and marketing budget of $100 million. Nolan asked for complete control and demanded that the company release any movie three weeks before or after his release. He also asked for a 100-days theatrical window, and it was a challenging condition for the Apple studio and Sony to agree on.

But Universal Studios agreed on this condition too because they were desperate not to lose Nolan. While there is no confirmed news on Apple Studio and Sony’s reaction to this demand, we can say one thing Nolan won’t back down from his demands. So, it’s just a matter of time before we get assured information of whether this collaboration is happening or not.

What We Think

Thanks to the pandemic, the most prominent Hollywood studios are also operating without so much of a solid net right now. Some studios are still going well, but some are suffering setbacks and finding them between the crossroads. Universal is currently placing all bets on Nolan, and if Sony and Apple Studio agree to the terms, it will create a new history in filmmaking.

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