Christopher Nolan’s next film could see a significantly delayed streaming debut
Contract reportedly demands 100-day theatrical window
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It was reported last week that visionary directorChristopher Nolan signed with Universalfor his next film, officially ending a nine-film streak with Warner Bros. that started with 2002’s Insomnia.
Now,The Hollywood Reporterhas lifted the veil on what the studio and filmmaker’s high-level negotiations entailed, offering alleged insider accounts on budgets, theatrical windows and more.
According to the report, multiple studios attempted to court the blockbuster director, who came with a number of large demands on which he was unwilling to budge.
These demands reportedly included a $100 million production budget for his upcoming biopic about American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, along with an equally large marketing spend.
Additionally, Nolan also demanded “total creative control, 20 percent of first-dollar gross, and a blackout period from which the studio wherein the company would not release another movie three weeks before or three weeks after his release.”
Analysis: why Nolan chose Universal
For Nolan, the big deciding factor allegedly came down to the film’s theatrical window – Nolan apparently insisted it be at least 100 days, which is more than double Universal’s usual timeframe.
It’s said that apart from Universal, onlyAppleandSonywere legitimately in the running to sign Nolan (Paramount reportedly bowed out early in negotiations), with the studios eager and willing to meet Nolan’s budget and back-end requirements. Apple, however, wasn’t prepared to commit to such a long theatrical window.
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Sony reportedly came close, noting its recent success with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, though the ultimate decision reportedly came down to Nolan’s existing relationship with Universal chief Donna Langley, who’s said to have spent years trying to court the director.
It’s also possible thatSony’s recent exclusivity deal with Netflixplayed into Nolan’s decision, leaving the studio unable to bend on theTenetdirector’s theatrical window demands.
Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar’s Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He’s obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible.
He’s also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he’s most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga.
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