M. Night Shyamalan reveals that he spoke to fellow director Christopher Nolan ahead of his move to Universal, convincing him to work with the studio. The Tenet director had seemingly ended his close partnership with Warner Bros. following a series of disagreements. Nolan shopped his upcoming film Oppenheimer to multiple studios, before working with Universal.
Much of the film industry was shocked in September 2021 when it was revealed that Nolan had seemingly fallen out with Warner Bros., leading him to shop his next feature with multiple studios. Scheduled for release in 2023, Oppenheimer is a biopic centered on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, and is set to be the director's 12th feature-length film. Starring Cillian Murphy as the WWII scientist alongside Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, and Josh Hartnett, the film was picked up by Universal Pictures, and now Shyamalan has revealed that he may have played a role in Nolan choosing to work with the studio.
Speaking to THR, Shyamalan revealed that he had spoken positively about the studio before Nolan made the decision to work with them. Shyamalan emphasized that Universal remained committed to storytelling and supporting theatres in an era where studios are leaning towards streaming releases. He elaborated by firmly stating he continues to support theaters and theatrical releases, not buying into the narrative that audiences were tiring of them and that he, Nolan, Jordan Peele, and others have and can continue to prove that narrative wrong. Check out Shyamalan's full response below.
"I conveyed how much I feel about Universal's commitment to original storytelling and the movie theaters. And in an age where everybody is trying to sell the narrative that original movies and movie theaters are dying out, I don't believe that at all! Not even a little bit. And Universal has doubled down—and continues to double down—that it's their identity. So, I'm hoping Jordan [Peele], Chris, myself and anybody else that will come over, or at other studios, can prove that everyone wants to see fresh, original ideas in a movie theater."
It was reported in early 2021 that Nolan had his sights on departing Warner Bros., with his next picture unlikely to be made with the studio. It is believed that Nolan's decision had been motivated by the studio's decision to establish a hybrid release strategy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Nolan was highly critical of the studio's decision, claiming that the studio was dismantling the industry by releasing 17 of their 2021 releases to HBO Max on the day of their theatrical releases. The director also claimed there had been no communication between the studios and filmmakers on the move. Nolan had previously emphasized his opinions on theatrical releases and how important they are to the filmgoing experience, going as far as appealing to congress to save theatres alongside James Cameron.
With Oppenheimer set to start filming soon, fans are curious to see how working with a new studio will impact the filmmaker's work. Shyamalan's statements on Universal's priorities in the industry do align with ongoing trends, as even though theaters are opening to a gradually less-hesitant public, studios like Disney and Warner Bros. are still investing heavily in streaming releases, with Disney opting to release Pixar movies straight to Disney+ in recent years. As filmmakers like Shyamalan, Peele, and Nolan partner with Universal, it will be interesting to see if other filmmakers follow their example.
Source: THR
