For production companies, it's all about making the most money, and to accomplish that, it comes down to hiring the best talent to assure that success. For Universal Pictures, it was bringing in acclaimed director Christopher Nolan to collaborate on his upcoming Oppenheimer film, which fellow filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan apparently helped to encourage.
Before joining Universal, Nolan's most recent film Tenet was released by Warner Bros. in August 2020 during the height of the pandemic, when moviegoers were still uncertain about the safety of movie theaters and a vaccine was not yet available. Tenet's poor performance at the box office combined with the director's frustration with Warner Bros.' new hybrid model of having its 2021 films premiere on the HBO Max streaming service simultaneously with their theatrical release ultimately ended the relationship between the two, forcing Nolan to pursue other options.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shyamalan recalled advising Nolan to make the transition over to Universal Pictures, believing the company would grant him the most creative freedom. “I conveyed how much I feel about Universal’s commitment to original storytelling and the movie theaters," Shyamalan shared. "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," Shyamalan concluded. "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." Considering the original and resonating stories both Peele and Shyamalan are able to bring to the big screen, there's no limit to what Nolan will be able to create for his future projects with Universal.
Shyamalan has been working with Universal since 2015, as some of his films with the company include The Visit, Split, Glass, and Old. The director, who has been the showrunner for the Apple TV Plus series The Servant (which its third season just released last week), is now gearing up for his next big film, Knock at the Cabin. Although the film is still early in development, Dave Bautista has been cast in a lead role.
As for Nolan, after Universal won the bidding war, he is ready to start fresh with a company that is set to meet his demands. His next feature, Oppenheimer, will center on theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who will be played by longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy, and his involvement with the creation of the atom bomb. While the story will no doubt be something truly memorable, the Oppenheimer cast is another beast entirely, as the film's ensemble also includes Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Rami Malek, and Josh Hartnett. Nolan is set to write, while Emma Thomas, Nolan's creative partner and wife, will produce with Charles Roven.
Oppenheimer is set for a July 21, 2023, theatrical release.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter