The man who reinvented the superhero genre with his Batman trilogy, Chris Nolan, may no longer be directing superhero films but he seems to have figured out just what went wrong with the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) that has led to films like Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and the all-star Justice League.
Nolan, who is most likely to nab Oscar nods for his last release, Dunkirk, was speaking at the BAFTA: A Life In Pictures event in London and noted that filmmakers are no longer afforded the time they need to tell the story.
“That’s a privilege and a luxury that filmmakers aren’t afforded anymore,” said Nolan. “I think it was the last time that anyone was able to say to a studio, ‘I might do another one, but it will be four years.’ There’s too much pressure on release schedules to let people do that now, but creatively it’s a huge advantage. We had the privilege and advantage to develop as people and as storytellers and then bring the family back together.”
Nolan’s words ring of truth when one notes that Batman Begins, which featured Christian Bale in the title role, was released in 2005 while The Dark Knight was released in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises released in 2012. In between these films, Nolan also made other films such as The Prestige and Inception, which is also rare.
In other Nolan news, there are also strong rumours that he is on the shortlist to direct Bond 25, the upcoming James Bond film. With Daniel Craig returning to the role, it could happen. It is more than speculation since Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has also alluded to a major announcement that will made in the New Year. “We’ve got the biggest and most important piece in place, which is Daniel [Craig],” she said recently. “I’m very happy that he’s coming back. So, to me, that’s the crucial thing… We’ve got our Daniel; we’ve got to find the director. We’re working on the script and we’ll see… Hopefully by the beginning of the year we’ll have more news on all those fronts.”