Christopher Nolan says his next movie is at least three years away
After The Odyssey pushed his stamina on set, Nolan said audiences should expect a long wait before his next film.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Christopher Nolan is already putting distance between himself and his next movie, even as The Odyssey charges into theaters with major box office momentum.
The filmmaker told NBC’s Today that it will take “at least” three years before another Nolan film reaches audiences. The timeline fits his recent pace: Interstellar arrived in 2014, followed by Dunkirk in 2017, Tenet in 2020 and Oppenheimer in 2023.
Nolan’s latest, an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, placed him in the triple role of writer, director and producer. In the Today interview, he said the production took a physical toll on him and the crew.
“I definitely hit the limits of my own stamina and everybody’s stamina, I think,” Nolan told the NBC morning show. “I mean, it’s The Odyssey, of course it should be difficult. We’re not doing the job right making a film of The Odyssey if it doesn’t seem difficult.”
The project also carried a technical ambition that matched the scale of the material. According to Deadline, The Odyssey was shot entirely on IMAX 70 millimeter film.
Nolan told Today that he pitched the format directly to IMAX as the right match for the story. “I went to IMAX, and I said, ‘Look, if ever we are going to fulfill this dream of shooting the entire movie that way, this is the one. This is The Odyssey.’”
The film is now in theaters with a cast led by Matt Damon, alongside Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Charlize Theron. Deadline also reported that the movie is set to open with more than $257 million worldwide.
That global launch would mark Nolan’s strongest worldwide opening since The Dark Knight Rises, Deadline reported. The 2012 Batman film opened to $249 million globally.
The release gives Nolan another major theatrical event after Oppenheimer, but his comments suggest he is not rushing straight into another production. For now, the director’s usual three-year rhythm appears to be the minimum wait, with The Odyssey having pushed him to the edge of his endurance.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.