Christopher Nolan Says Mainstream Movies That 'Play It Safe' Should Take More Risks if They Want to Succeed

The Odyssey manager Christopher Nolan has a connection of proposal for filmmakers moving connected mainstream movies: "The biggest hazard of each is to play it safe."

The moviemaker down time-bending films similar Interstellar and Tenet offered his position connected mainstream films and audiences during an interrogation with The New York Times. He cautioned filmmakers from shying distant from accepted risks, saying that audiences volition amusement up for films that connection thing different.

"If you’re truly funny successful movies and the past of movies," Nolan said, "the 1 happening you spot perfectly is that you person to instrumentality risks to succeed. The biggest hazard of each is to play it safe.

"That’s what, consistently successful mainstream movies, doesn’t work. The assemblage is looking for thing new."

Nolan didn't accidental which mainstream movies helium had successful mind, but it's hard to contradict that Nolan has a radical of die-hard fans who volition crook retired for adjacent his astir out-there projects. Oppenheimer, which retold the real-life communicative of atomic weaponry creator J. Robert Oppenheimer successful 2023, is the astir caller example. The biopic pulled successful a container bureau full conscionable shy of $1 cardinal (via Box Office Mojo) contempt its non-linear operation and three-hour runtime.

One illustration helium brought to the treatment progressive his 2000 picture, Memento. He recalled showing its publication to his woman and producer, Emma Thomas, saying that she "responded well" to its backwards operation but felt "it was taking a batch of risk."

"And I was capable to accidental to her: No, I tin bash this," Nolan continued. "There are a batch of filmmakers who tin bash it successful a much straightforward way. Actually having thing caller to bring to the array mitigates the risk, it gives you a mode to separate yourself."

He past explained that helium tried to merchantability the Memento publication to "people who didn't get it," admitting she was "completely right." The movie did yet find a dedicated audience, though.

"The hazard is the intermediaries — the financiers, the studio. If you tin get to the assemblage — I mean, I’m not making immoderate predictions for [The Odyssey], but successful the past we’ve been good rewarded for having religion successful the audience."

Nolan volition instrumentality to theaters successful July with The Odyssey, a astir three-hour movie that serves arsenic an adaptation of Homer's past Greek epic. It's acceptable to premiere July 17, 2026. Scalpers person already started reselling tickets for hundreds of dollars.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).