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Christopher Nolan

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For other uses, see Christopher Nolan (disambiguation).

Christopher Nolan
Nolan at WonderCon in 2010
Born
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan

(1970-07-30) July 30, 1970 (age 54)
London, England, UK
Other namesChris Nolan
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom, United States
EducationB.A. in Eng. Lit.
Alma materHaileybury and Imperial Service College,
University College London
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer
Years active1989 – present
StyleNonlinear, psychological[1]
Board member ofSyncopy Films
Spouse(s)Emma Thomas
(1997–present)
RelativesJonathan Nolan (brother), Matthew Francis Nolan (brother)[2]
AwardsSee here

Christopher Jonathan James Nolan (born July 30, 1970) is a British-American[4] film director, screenwriter and producer. He is known for writing and directing such critically acclaimed films as Memento (2000), the remake Insomnia (2002), the film adaptation The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), and rebooting the Batman film franchise. The latter made him the second most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind David Yates.[5] Nolan is the founder of the production company Syncopy Films.

He often collaborates with his wife, producer Emma Thomas,[6] and his brother, screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, as well as cinematographer Wally Pfister, film editor Lee Smith, composers David Julyan and Hans Zimmer, special effects coordinator Chris Corbould, and actors Christian Bale and Michael Caine.

He is known primarily for his films that deal with thematic duality, psychological instability, and techniques like non-linear narrative and witty dialogue. Despite having directed only nine ten features, six of his films have made it to the American Film Institute's list of best films of all-time. His 2010 film Inception won him tremendous critical and commercial success, reiterating his position among Hollywood's top directors. His 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises which is currently under production, will be his last of the films in the Batman film franchise. He lives with his wife (and producer) Emma Thomas in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Nolan was born in London, the son of an English father who worked as an advertising copywriter and an American mother who was a flight attendant.[7][8] He has a younger brother, Jonathan, with whom Nolan often collaborates on film scripts, and an older brother, Matthew, who was arrested in 2009 on a murder charge,[9] which was later rescinded.[10] As a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States,[4] he spent his childhood in both London and Chicago.[11] Nolan found an interest in botany and "dicots" early on until he found his father's camera. He began film-making at the age of seven using his father's Super 8 camera and his toy action figures.[12] While living in Chicago as a child, he also made short films with future director and producer Roko Belic.

Nolan was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College, an independent school at Hertford Heath in Hertfordshire, England, and later studied English literature at University College London while filming several short films in the college film society. The first, Tarantella, was shown in 1989 on Image Union, an independent film and video showcase featured on PBS. Another notable short film was called Doodlebug with Jeremy Theobald who later starred in Following.

Nolan married Emma Thomas, his longtime film producer, in 1997. They have four children and reside in Los Angeles, California.[13]

Professional career

Nolan directed his first feature film, Following, in 1998. The film depicts a writer who is obsessed with following random people. Scenes are shown out of chronological order. Nolan made the film on a budget of only $6,000.[14] He shot it on weekends, over the course of a year, working with friends he had met at the University College London film society. It began to receive notice after premiering at the 1998 San Francisco Film Festival, and was eventually distributed on a limited basis by Zeitgeist in 1999.

As a result of the film's success, Newmarket Films optioned the script for Nolan's next film, Memento. Memento (2000) is a critically acclaimed cult film,[15] and was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award (Oscar) for best screenplay. The movie is based on the short story Memento Mori, written by Christopher's brother, Jonathan Nolan. It follows widower Leonard Shelby (played by English-born Australian actor Guy Pearce) who suffers a head injury and is unable to form new memories. In keeping with this inability to know what has just happened before, the film's narrative structure runs in reverse (with an interlude between each pair of major "flashback" sequences).

In 2002, Nolan directed Insomnia, an American remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, albeit with major changes in both the plot and the nature of the main character. The plot of Insomnia revolves around two Los Angeles homicide detectives that are dispatched to a northern town where the sun does not set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teenager.

In 1997, Warner Bros. put its Batman film franchise on an indefinite hiatus when the fourth installment, Batman & Robin, was released to negative reviews and disappointing box office. In 2003, Nolan, together with Blade screenwriter David S. Goyer, convinced Warner Bros. to take the risk of entrusting the first of a revived Batman film series to a relatively unknown director. Batman Begins was released on June 15, 2005 and became a box office hit, ranking as the eighth highest grossing film of 2005 domestically and the ninth highest grossing worldwide. It received a very positive critical and public reception, with many ranking it as superior to Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film, for instance receiving, according to Rotten Tomatoes, an overall 84% positive review compared to 71% for Burton's film. Strengths of the movie included its dark and intelligent storyline, strong emphasis on character, and the predominant themes of fear and duality. Batman Begins was a major winner at the 32nd annual Saturn Awards. The film won for Best Fantasy Film, Best Actor for Christian Bale and Best Writing for Nolan and Goyer. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

The Prestige, released on October 20, 2006, is an adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel about two rival magicians in the 19th century. It reunites Nolan with Batman Begins stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine as well as starring Hugh Jackman. The movie had a mostly positive response from critics and made over $109 million worldwide.[16] The film was co-scripted by his brother, Jonathan Nolan and co-produced with his wife, Emma Thomas.

In the months following The Prestige's release, Nolan made numerous comments suggesting that he would return to direct the sequel to Batman Begins.[17] In late July 2006, the sequel was officially confirmed as The Dark Knight with Nolan at the helm and Heath Ledger joining the cast as The Joker, Batman's arch-enemy.[18] Nolan and his brother Jonathan wrote a script, based on a treatment written by himself and David S. Goyer. The film began production in early 2007 and was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia and July 18, 2008 in the United States, to overwhelming critical acclaim with some critics calling it the greatest comic-book based movie ever made.[19] It also had enormous box office success, setting the record for the highest-grossing weekend opening in the U.S. with over $158 million and becoming the 3rd highest grossing film of all time domestically, and the sixth-highest worldwide at the time.[20]

At the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, Christopher Nolan accepted the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture on behalf of the deceased Heath Ledger. Nolan was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director for The Dark Knight. At the 81st Academy Awards, it was nominated for a total of eight Oscars, and won two, the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, and a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Ledger.

After the release of Nolan's successful 2008 film The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. contracted Nolan to a seven-figure deal to direct the science fiction film Inception. The film was based on a script written by Nolan and has been described as being "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind".[21] Filming began in summer 2009, and Inception was released on July 16, 2010 to largely positive reviews and became a box office hit.[22]

Upcoming projects

On March 10, 2010, Nolan confirmed that he and David Goyer have been working on an idea for a Superman film. Nolan says, "He basically told me, 'I have this thought about how you would approach Superman.' I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting. I wanted to get Emma and I involved in shepherding the project right away and getting it to the studio and getting it going in an exciting way… A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us that’s what I know how to do." Although Zack Snyder is set to direct,[23] Nolan will have significant creative input in the process.[24]

Nolan also confirmed his involvement with a sequel to The Dark Knight and said it will be his last Batman movie and a conclusion to the story: "Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story... I'm very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters. My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we're telling. And it hearkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories."[24] Warner Bros. announced the film is scheduled to be released July 20, 2012.[25] Nolan confirmed that the Joker will not return in the third film.[26] On October 27, 2010, Nolan confirmed that the title of the film will be The Dark Knight Rises.[27]

Recurring collaborators

Nolan often casts the same actors in different films. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Russ Fega, Cillian Murphy and Larry Holden are among his more frequent acting collaborators.

Nolan's wife Emma Thomas has produced most of his films, with the exception of Memento and Insomnia. Lee Smith has been Nolan's editor since Batman Begins, with Dody Dorn editing Memento and Insomnia. Wally Pfister has served as cinematographer for all of Nolan's films starting with Memento. David Julyan composed music for Following, Memento, Insomnia, and The Prestige, while Hans Zimmer provided music for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception.

Filmography

Feature films

Year Film Credited as Studio Worldwide Gross
Director Producer Writer Other
1998 Following Yes Yes Cinematographer
Editor 		Momentum Pictures $48,482
2000 Memento Yes Yes Cinematographer
Editor 		Momentum Pictures $39,723,096
2002 Insomnia Yes Warner Bros. $113,714,830
2005 Batman Begins Yes Yes $372,710,015
2006 The Prestige Yes Yes Yes Touchstone Pictures
Warner Bros. 		$109,676,311
2008 The Dark Knight Yes Yes Yes Warner Bros. $1,001,921,825
2010 Inception Yes Yes Yes $825,531,030
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Yes Yes Yes
2012 The Man of Steel Yes Yes

Short films

Year Film Credited as
Director Producer Writer
1989 Tarantella Yes Yes Yes
1996 Larceny Yes Yes Yes
1997 Doodlebug Yes Yes Yes

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Nolan

Critical reception

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Overall Top Critics
Following 76%[28] N/A[29] N/A
Memento 93%[30] 94%[31] 80[32]
Insomnia 92%[33] 94%[34] 78[35]
Batman Begins 84%[36] 60%[37] 70[38]
The Prestige 75%[39] 57%[40] 66[41]
The Dark Knight 94%[42] 91%[43] 82[44]
Inception 86%[45] 79%[46] 74[47]
Average 86% 79% 75

See also

Publications

Articles

References

  1. ^ Haddon, Cole. (2010-07-12). "Interview: Christopher Nolan Talks Inception". Film.com. Retrieved on January 15, 2011.
  2. ^ Josh Grossberg. "Dark Knight Director's Brother Arrested for Murder". E! Online.
  3. ^ Scott, A. O. (2010-07-15). "Movie Review: Inception". The New York Times. Retrieved on January 15, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Boucher, Geoff (April 11, 2010). "Christopher Nolan's 'Inception' — Hollywood's first existential heist film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  5. ^ Nolan 2nd Most Successful British Director, UK Film Council 2010
  6. ^ Kit, Borys (2010-12-01). "Heath Ledger Will Not Appear in 'Dark Knight Rises'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2011-30-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help). WebCitation archive
  7. ^ Can't get him out of our heads
  8. ^ http://www.ariel-leve.com/st_interviews/christophernolan.html
  9. ^ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29797047
  10. ^ http://www.bringdadahomesafely.com/index.php Nolan Family Blog
  11. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (June 30, 2010). "The Man Behind the Dreamscape". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  12. ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/film/review-1260075-nolans-move-from-highgate-to-hollywood.do
  13. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 15, 2010). "With Inception, Chris Nolan's head games continue". USA Today. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  14. ^ Interview with Christopher Nolan
  15. ^ Foss, Sara. (March 3, 2009). Film capsules Schenectady Gazette. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  16. ^ The Prestige (2006)
  17. ^ "Nolan Talks Next". IGN FilmForce. October 12, 2005. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
  18. ^ Garth Franklin (July 31, 2006). "It's Official: "Batman 2" Gets A Title". DarkHorizons.com. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
  19. ^ "The Dark Knight Review".
  20. ^ "All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses".
  21. ^ Fleming, Michael (February 11, 2009). "Nolan tackles 'Inception' for WB". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  22. ^ Fleming, Michael (April 1, 2009). "Trio in talks for 'Inception'". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  23. ^ Michael Fleming (October 4, 2010). "SCOOP: Zack Snyder Directing 'Superman'". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  24. ^ a b Bettinger, Brendan (March 10, 2010). "Christopher Nolan Speaks! Updates on DARK KNIGHT Sequel and SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL". Collider.com. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  25. ^ McNary, Dave (May 3, 2010). "Batman sets date". Variety. Retrieved July 26, 2010.. WebCitation archive.
  26. ^ Wigler, Josh (June 4, 2010). "Christopher Nolan Discusses 'Superman' Plans, No Joker in 'Batman 3'". Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  27. ^ Boucher, Geoff (October 27, 2010). "Christopher Nolan reveals title of third Batman film and that 'it won't be the Riddler'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  28. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Following
  29. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of Following
  30. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Memento
  31. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of Memento
  32. ^ Metacritic reviews of "Memento"
  33. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Insomnia
  34. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of Insomnia
  35. ^ Metacritic reviews of "Insomnia"
  36. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Batman Begins
  37. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of Batman Begins
  38. ^ Metacritic reviews of "Batman Begins"
  39. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of The Prestige
  40. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of The Prestige
  41. ^ Metacritic reviews of "The Prestige"
  42. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of The Dark Knight
  43. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of The Dark Knight
  44. ^ Metacritic reviews of "The Dark Knight"
  45. ^ Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Inception
  46. ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics Rating of Inception
  47. ^ Metacritic reviews of "Inception"
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Preceded by Batman film director
2005–2012 		Succeeded by
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