Before he directed his first major feature,Memento,Christopher Nolannearly directed a comedy, according to his brother and screenwriting partnerJonathan Nolan. Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the most popular and acclaimed directors of the 21st century. The British director established his stellar reputation through his near-flawless filmography, which includes mind-bending thrillers (like the aforementionedMemento), big-budget sci-fi blockbusters (likeInceptionandInterstellar), and the belovedDark Knight Trilogy. All of Nolan’s films veer towards serious dramas. However, Nolan apparently considered making a comedy, way before his career truly took off.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast, Christopher’s brother, Jonathan Nolan (who wrote the screenplays for many of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed films), said Christopher considered making a comedy once upon a time. Jonathan Nolan said the discussion came about after Christopher had moved to America. During a long drive from Chicago to LA, “He was talking about the films that he wanted to make.” Jonathan Nolan didn’t give too much away, saying he’ll “leave it to his next sit down with [Josh],” but did state that “one of them was a comedy, which was exciting.” During the drive, Jonathan then pitched a short story he’d been writing, whichlater developed into the screenplay forMemento.
While most of Nolan’s movies are overwhelmingly dramatic (especially his latest,Oppenheimer), they are occasionally littered with quippy dialogue and funny moments. Jonathan Nolan even addressed this during the interview, saying how his brother is starting to show his comedic talent publicly. “One of the things about Chris that is starting [to show] in the last year or two, is how much of a sense of humor the guy has. You think of his films as very serious, but we have been cracking each other up for many, many years.”
“One of them was a comedy, which was exciting.”
Christopher Nolan’s fans are desperate to see the iconic director bring his talent to a comedic movie, especially considering he doesn’t hide his love for the genre. As well as feeling no shame about loving theFast & Furiousfranchise, Nolan has also gone on record as describing Will Ferrell’sTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobbyas one of “the great comedies,” viaThe Rich Eisen Show.
What Is Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie?
After the critical, commercial, andAcademy success of Christopher Nolan’s last cinematic outing,Oppenheimer, his fans are desperate to know what the director has in store next. Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, and Nolan currently seems undecided about his next project and torn between several options.
Christopher Nolan’s Rumored Next Movie Might Be His Riskiest Yet
Learn the details about Christopher Nolan’s potential next movie, an adaptation of the 1960s TV show The Prisoner.
In March, news broke that Nolan’s next movie was rumored to be aremake of the 1960s cult classic TV show,The Prisoner. Nolan was attached to remake the series way back in 2009, but that project ultimately fell through after AMC released a six-part miniseries based on the ’60s hit show the same year.
“I’d love to make a horror film.”
Rumors have also been circulating that Nolan’s next movie could be his first foray into the horror genre. During a Q+A screening ofOppenheimerat theBritish Film Institute(BFI), Nolan said he’d “love to make a horror film.” However, it may take some time for the Nolan brothers to produce a worthy script, as Christopher Nolan went on to say, “I think a really good horror film requires a really exceptional idea. And those are few and far between. So, I haven’t found a story that lends itself to that.”
