Christopher Nolan has been a very vocal supporter of the theatrical experience for years now. Well before the pandemic crushed movie theaters in 2020 and is threatening to continue into 2021, Nolan has been one of the filmmakers that have been out there talking about how he believes the theatrical experience is vital to the future of the industry. And so, when it was announced that Warner Bros. (Nolan’s studio of choice) is going to release its entire 2021 film slate in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day, the filmmaker wasn’t pleased. Now, as the dust continues to settle, he’s still very upset over the decision and questions WB’s ethics.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Nolan was once again asked about the move of bringing those features that were once going to be theatrical exclusives to now be on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time. And no, his stance has yet to change.
“It’s about what the French call droit moral,” he said. “Do they own it absolutely, because they paid for it or they financed it? And that is not a purely legalistic question; it’s a question of ethics as well. It’s a question of partnership and collaboration. They did not speak to those filmmakers. They did not consult them about what their plans were for their work. And I felt that somebody needed to point out that that wasn’t the right way to treat those filmmakers.”
READ MORE: Christopher Nolan Calls Warner Bros. Shift To Streaming, “A Great Danger”
When speaking to USAToday, he went further to show his support for the long-term prospect of movie theaters and actually thinks the future isn’t which theaters will survive, but instead, which studios will survive the pandemic and the future of the industry?
“Everyone in the business knows that long-term, people are going to want to go to movie theaters and see movies,” said Nolan. “So to look at anything going on during a pandemic, the shifts that have occurred, as an acceleration of existing trends is facile. Last year, 2019, was the biggest year financially for movie theaters ever. Attendance was massive. That’s where we left off, I’ll put it that way.”
He added, “And then with ‘Tenet’ coming out internationally and doing more than $300 million in markets where it was able to open. Yeah, I’m very optimistic for the future of movie-going. The question isn’t whether exhibition will survive. The question is which of the movie studios will survive.”
Of course, we have always said that theaters will survive. The question is what shape the exhibition industry will take in the future? Will theaters be relegated to niche markets and left as a Broadway-esque venture? Or will theaters reach the glory days of the late 2010s with blockbusters breaking records? That’s the real question. And right now, not even Christopher Nolan can answer. We’ll just have to wait and see.
But hey, if you want to watch his latest film, “Tenet,” it’s now available wherever you buy films.
