Christopher Nolan has been one of the most sought-after directors in the industry as he has delivered some of the most artistic blockbusters in the past two decades. The legendary filmmaker has always attracted A-list talent to his movies, even if it is for a blink-and-miss role. His recent Oscar-nominated film Oppenheimer had stalwarts such as Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Josh Hartnett.
The filmmaker recently revealed that he would love to explore the horror genre in a subsequent film. The director mentioned that he was fascinated by the genre in an interview and had explored parts of it in Oppenheimer. Nolan’s brand of horror is sure to attract Hollywood’s finest as many of this year’s prominent stars have expressed their desire to explore the genre as well.
Christopher Nolan Revealed That He Wanted To Do A Horror Film
While Christopher Nolan is mostly known for his brand of sci-fi blockbusters, the filmmaker has not shied away from mixing genres in his films. With The Dark Knight trilogy, the filmmaker was credited with infusing elements of the superhero genre with elements of crime and drama, something that was not typically associated with comic book films.
The director explored the heist genre with elements of sci-fi and fantasy in the Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer Inception. The filmmaker also infused the spy genre with a mind-bending time reversal concept in the film Tenet. Christopher Nolan has also branched out into serious dramatic territory with Dunkirk and Oppenheimer.
When asked what was the next genre he would be tackling and if he was interested in making a horror film, Nolan responded positively. In an interview with the British Film Institute, he said,
“I think horror films are very interesting because they depend on very cinematic devices. It’s really about [provoking] a visceral response to things. So at some point, I’d love to make a horror film. But I think a really good horror film requires a really exceptional idea — and those are few and far between. So I haven’t found the story that lends itself to that.”
The filmmaker also mentioned that he had explored parts of the tropes of the genre in his latest film Oppenheimer, which explores the making of the first atomic bomb. Nolan mentioned that using the elements of horror for the biographical film was appropriate as nuclear bombs were extremely frightening.
Christopher Nolan’s Horror Film Might Have Some A-List Takers
Many actors and A-listers have been waiting to work with the legendary filmmaker whenever Christopher Nolan decides to make a film. The director has attracted talents such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Anne Hathaway, Katie Holmes, and more in his films, even in his earlier days.
With a track record like Nolan’s, many actors are bound to be clamoring to work with the filmmaker, no matter what he has decided to cook up. When Christopher Nolan expressed his desire to explore the horror genre in his films, 2023’s breakout stars seemed to want to explore the genre as well. In a video by Vanity Fair, prominent stars such as Pedro Pascal and Charles Melton expressed their enthusiasm to work on a horror film.
The May December star mentioned that he would work on a horror film when asked about which genre he would like to explore next by Past Lives star Greta Lee (she wanted to do a musical). Pascal and Coleman Domingo also mentioned that they would like to star in a horror film.
The Holdovers star Da’Vine Joy Randolph asked the advice of Jenna Ortega on how scary working on a horror film would be. The actress, who starred in X and the Scream reboots said,
“No, but I feel like that, actually you would be phenomenal in it because then…[doing it] over and over take after take. I feel like you might get used to it. It’s not scary at all, it’s demons walking around drinking Starbucks and…Laughing, people accidentally spitting on each other…you just kind of get used to it.”
While Christopher Nolan has not committed to making a horror film just yet, saying that he had not found the right idea to explore, he might just have an interested A-list cast ready to dive in. A horror film starring Pedro Pascal, Coleman Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Charles Melston and directed by Christopher Nolan would definitely be blockbuster material.
