The Unbelievable Story Behind Christopher Nolan's Iconic Breakout Movie: How One Director Defied Warner Bros to Make It a Masterpiece

Summary

Christopher Nolan almost didn't direct his breakout movie Insomnia because a Warner Bros. executive who didn't like Memento initially didn't want to meet with him about it.

Fellow filmmaker Steven Soderbergh persuaded Warner Bros. to meet with Nolan, acknowledging his talent and potential for success.

In recent years, Nolan encountered difficulties in his partnership with Warner Bros. Consequently, he teamed up with Universal for Oppenheimer. Nonetheless, reports now suggest that Warner Bros. is interested in reestablishing their collaboration with the acclaimed filmmaker.

Christopher Nolan, now one of Hollywood's most prominent writer/directors, faced a potential setback when he struggled to secure a meeting with Warner Bros. to direct his breakout movie Insomnia. Fortunately, another filmmaker intervened, paving the way for Nolan's successful 18-year partnership with Warner Bros. Released in 2002, Insomnia followed the story of an LA homicide detective who ventures to a northern town where the sun never sets to investigate a brutal murder. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Steven Soderbergh, the fellow filmmaker who helped Nolan, shares that Warner Bros. initially hesitated to meet with Nolan about his interest in the Insomnia script. Despite Soderbergh's belief that Nolan would have achieved success on his own, it was his persuasion that ultimately convinced Warner Bros. executives to give the talented Memento director a chance. Below is Soderbergh's account of the events.

I received a call from Chris' agent, Dan Aloni, whom I was acquainted with because he had shown me the film 'Memento' when it struggled to secure a distributor after a year on the festival circuit. Out of the blue, Dan contacts me and asks if I can watch this film. He explains that his client has a movie that they believe is excellent, but no one is willing to pick it up and they can't fathom why. He questions whether they are all delusional. After watching the movie, I am convinced that it is a phenomenal piece of work.

Fast forward a few months, Dan calls me again and informs me that there is a script called "Insomnia" at Warner Bros. Chris is extremely interested in it, but Warner Bros. refuses to arrange a meeting. Confused, I inquire why they won't take the meeting. Dan explains that the executive at Warner Bros. didn't appreciate "Memento." I respond by asking why that should affect their willingness to meet.

“I urged the executive to attend the meeting, emphasizing its importance. Despite his disliking of the movie, I asked if he appreciated its craftsmanship. Once he acknowledged its brilliance, I insisted that he take the meeting.”

“That’s all I did. I was familiar enough with Chris to understand that once he had the opportunity, he would excel and secure the job. This encounter marked the beginning of a highly beneficial relationship between Nolan and Warner Bros. However, let’s be clear: Christopher Nolan would have succeeded regardless. If it weren't for ‘Insomnia,’ he would have created something else and still achieved the remarkable career he has today. It was just a fortunate coincidence that allowed me to advocate for him over the phone.”

Christopher Nolan's Warner Bros. Partnership Explained

Nolan has unquestionably produced some of his finest work while collaborating with Warner Bros. Following Insomnia, he went on to create Batman Begins, which introduced Christian Bale as the iconic DC hero and set the stage for future films. The Prestige, another collaboration with Bale, was followed by the widely acclaimed The Dark Knight, regarded as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. Nolan further demonstrated his talent for mind-bending storytelling with Inception and Interstellar.

However, Nolan's partnership with Warner Bros. took a different turn after Dunkirk. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant changes in Hollywood and posed a threat to the existence of movie theaters. Despite the challenges, Nolan, a staunch advocate of the theatrical experience, insisted on releasing Tenet in theaters in August 2020, when theaters worldwide were struggling and many were closed due to government restrictions. Unfortunately, Tenet did not serve as the much-needed salvation for theaters, and the film failed to break even.

Warner Bros. announced a "day and date" release strategy, without consulting the filmmakers it would impact, in response to the changing movie landscape. This strategy involved releasing movies simultaneously in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service. Nolan strongly opposed this decision and ended his association with Warner Bros., instead joining Universal with Oppenheimer. After some time has passed, there are discussions about Warner Bros.' interest in reestablishing a partnership with Nolan, which originally started over 20 years ago with the film Insomnia.