Warner Bros. Wants to Bring Christopher Nolan Back Into the Fold
Warner Bros. is looking to turn around its fortunes as a movie-making giant. In a recent piece published by Variety, Warner Bros. Film Group co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy detailed how they're spearheading a shift in strategy at the studio, from locking up and better respecting artists to giving films longer theatrical runs and plenty of marketing. In their quest to secure proven filmmakers that'll produce hits for them, they also want to patch things up with Christopher Nolan, their former prized director who helmed some of the studio's greatest projects.
Nolan and Warner Bros. were tied at the hip for 20 years during which he crafted the excellent The Dark Knight trilogy, his science fiction actioner Inception, and, more recently, the time-bending Tenet. Their strong rapport came crashing down, however, when Warner Bros. began to shift its film release strategy during the pandemic. Then-CEO of WarnerMedia Jason Kilar made the decision in 2021 to send the company's entire film slate straight to HBO Max due to the ongoing pandemic and the general wariness of audiences to return to theaters. What made the day-and-date strategy so frustrating, however, was that many filmmakers and stars found out about the move at the same time as the public, angering artists who had negotiated deals for theatrical releases. Nolan was one of the biggest critics of the move and ultimately severed ties with the studio, taking his upcoming film Oppenheimer to Universal.
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With De Luca and Abdy looking to reverse course from the ill-fated tenure of Kilar, however, the door isn't shut on a reunion. "We're hoping to get Nolan back," De Luca told Variety. "I think there's a world." There are signs their relationship is thawing. For one, Warner Bros. sent Nolan a juicy seven-figure royalty check for Tenet as a good-faith bonus for the film with no strings attached. Nolan appears to be receptive to their overtures too, returning to the Warner Bros. lot for Oppenheimer's post-production.
Image via Universal Pictures
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Universal May Fight Hard to Keep Nolan on Their Side
It's hard to forget the animosity between the two sides after the day-and-date strategy, however. It may take a lot of mending to get him back for his next film, especially if Universal has anything to say about it. Both De Luca and Abdy admitted that Universal's Donna Langley would certainly extend all measures to retain Nolan for another film or two. The rival studio was able to sway Nolan with promises of a long theatrical window and, given Warner Bros. still doesn't have the best reputation with artists, it's sure to be an uphill battle to bring him back.
Warner Bros. may especially come to regret letting Nolan go this Summer when Oppenheimer directly clashes with their own starry blockbuster Barbie on July 21. Neither co-CEO is ready to give up hope yet, though. On the film side, they've committed to supporting artists in a way that simply wasn't true under Kilar. They even managed to sway some top-notch filmmakers like Baz Luhrmann, M. Night Shyamalan, and Matt Reeves to stay aboard the good ship Warner Bros. with massive overall deals. Look over to the DC side of things as well, and you'll see another set of prominent artists in James Gunn and Peter Safran who've also committed to the company for the long haul.
Nolan isn't committed to another film just yet, so there's still time for Warner Bros. to continue mending the relationship. In the meantime, check out the trailer for his next film Oppenheimer below.
Source: Collider
