Christopher Nolan’s latest epic is making waves at the box office. The Odyssey has earned $264 million at the worldwide box office, setting the director’s global opening weekend record. And in the US, it made $124 million, Nolan’s top opening outside the Batman franchise.
Christopher Nolan says making The Odyssey has increased his interest in directing a horror movie. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan said the horror elements in The Odyssey have only made him want to explore the genre further.
Nolan says The Odyssey ‘whet’ his appetite for horror
Nolan admitted that The Odyssey has made him more interested in making a horror film, but he still needs to find a truly effective idea, as per The Hollywood Reporter. When asked if the world’s demand for him to make a horror movie has been answered, Nolan joked, “I was going to say. They don’t need to beg me to tell a horror story anymore. Just buy a ticket.”
On whether The Odyssey has satisfied his interest in horror, he said, “It very much whets my appetite for more. But I’ve always believed that horror as a genre has to be approached very carefully from a conceptual point of view. In other words, you have to have an amazing idea.”
He pointed to a specific example, saying, “When you go see a film like Obsession, that’s an amazing idea. That movie works like a motherf—er. It’s not about the technical side. It’s not about what technical itches I would have to scratch. It’s about story. So I’m always looking.”
The Odyssey explores the theme of Zeus’ law, also known as the Golden Rule of treating others how you want to be treated. Speaking about this idea of civilization and mutual respect, Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter that, “The fact that we have mutual respect is what, to some extent, defines civilization. I don’t think that’s something that can be entirely imposed by, for example, a religious framework. I think it has to be innate in us for that to be as prevalent and as effective as it has been over thousands of years.”
Also Read: Is Elliot Page playing Achilles in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey? Full cast roles explained
How The Odyssey reminded Nolan of Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s 13th film, The Odyssey, has become the first narrative feature shot entirely in IMAX. The film has received praise from critics and audiences and earned $264 million worldwide in its opening weekend, setting Christopher Nolan’s biggest global opening ever.
Nolan said he noticed similarities between The Odyssey and his 2023 film Oppenheimer only after finishing the new movie. “Now that I look back on it after finishing The Odyssey, there are interesting parallels [to Oppenheimer],” Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter. “I try to leave each film I do with thematic concerns and questions that stay a little bit open for me and hopefully the audience too. They are things that I want to explore further without being too self-conscious about it.”
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Nolan’s filmmaking philosophy
On his filmmaking philosophy, Nolan said staying on budget and schedule gives him creative freedom: “What I realized early on is that if I stayed on budget and on schedule, I got less interference. I didn’t give people a reason to panic… In other words, all filmmaking is a creative compromise, and I prefer to make those compromises on my own terms.”
Is Prestige re-releasing?
Nolan confirmed The Prestige will be re-released next year for its 20th anniversary with 70mm blow-ups. He praised Christian Bale’s work in the film, calling it “one of his most underrated performances.”
