If you were ever questioning just how powerful Christopher Nolan is in Hollywood, look no further than the situation that developed between the filmmaker and Warner Bros. during the pandemic. After the release of “Tenet” in theaters during the height of COVID, WB entered 2021 with a new idea to release films both in theaters and on streaming at the same time. This reportedly upset Nolan, who then left WB to go work under the Universal banner for his next film, “Oppenheimer.” The bidding war that erupted after Nolan left proved that the filmmaker is one of the hottest commodities in the film industry right now. He’s so sought-after that Warner Bros. is now, apparently, pulling out all the stops to woo Nolan back for a future project.
In a new profile, from Variety, of Warner Bros. executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca, there is a point where the duo discusses the situation surrounding Christopher Nolan. As mentioned, for years, Nolan and WB enjoyed a very harmonious relationship, releasing hit film after hit film. However, during the pandemic, reportedly due to the change in release strategy under previous WB executives, Nolan found himself looking elsewhere for a home for his new film, “Oppenheimer,” eventually landing at Universal.
Despite Nolan leaving the studio he worked with for a long time and finding a new partner with Universal, the new Warner Bros. leadership of Abdy and De Luca believe there’s a chance the filmmaker could return to his old stomping ground.
“We’re hoping to get Nolan back,” De Luca said. “I think there’s a world.”
How will Warner Bros. woo Nolan back? Well, the change in leadership at Warner Bros. probably helps a lot. Abdy and De Luca are well-liked in the industry and have a strong track record of working with filmmakers. It doesn’t hurt that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been one of the most vocal supporters of theatrical release over the past year. But really, it appears that WB is willing to put its money where its mouth is.
The profile includes a report that WB wrote a “seven-figure royalty check” to Nolan as a gesture of good faith for his work on “Tenet.” The report claims that this check has no strings attached and isn’t contingent on the filmmaker returning to the studio. The money was to show their support of Nolan and “Tenet,” which suffered major box office setbacks due to the COVID restrictions around the world.
Obviously, a big check is no guarantee that Nolan is going to return to Warner Bros. But it does show that the studio is hoping to renew that friendly relationship in hopes that something more concrete can happen in the future. Now, we have to wait until “Oppenheimer” is released to see how the relationship between Universal and Nolan works out. But, as of today, it’s clear that WB is willing to do quite a bit to revive that business deal between the studio and the filmmaker.
“Oppenheimer” is set to hit theaters on July 21.