Here's Why Harry Styles Wasn't In The Trailers For 'Dunkirk'

To hear Christopher Nolan tell it, he frankly had no idea that Harry Styles, heartthrob and former member of One Direction, was kind of a big deal. “I don’t think I was that aware really of how famous Harry was,” he admitted to Associated Press. “I mean, my daughter had talked about him. My kids talked about him, but I wasn’t really that aware of it. So the truth is, I cast Harry because he fit the part wonderfully and truly earned a seat at the table.”

When the pop star was cast in “Dunkirk,” the news turned the heads of many, but according to Nolan, Styles did the work, auditioned, and beat out thousands of contenders for the role. However, his fame didn’t mean he was instantly featured in the trailers for the film —in fact, he was mostly conspicuously absent, but Nolan says he had a reason for that.

“We’re not trying to oversell Harry in the movie for the specific reason that it’s an ensemble,” the director explained. “We don’t want people who are huge fans of his being disappointed that he’s not in it enough.”

READ MORE: New Trailer For ‘Dunkirk’ Never Surrenders

It’s a fair point, and no actor in any of the promos so far has taken center stage. Still, Nolan praises Styles’ work in the movie calling it both “subtle” and “incredible,” and certainly, the reactions so far haven’t noted the One Direction star’s presence as distracting.

“Dunkirk” opens on July 21st, and for what it’s worth, Rian Johnson loves it.