So, there are three prevalent rumors about what Christopher Nolan’s next film might be, and I wouldn’t be surprised if all three turned out to be false.
I already reported on rumor #1, which came to us from Grace Randolph, and it basically insinuated the possibility of Nolan’s next film being horror. Two of my sources are now telling me that it is absolutely not true.
These same sources of mine are refusing to confirm or deny rumor #2. They might be playing mind games with me, but it’s all in good fun, at least we now know that Nolan is definitely not shooting a horror film. The second rumor comes from Reddit, and it’s gained some major traction in the past few days…
The story goes that Nolan and his team are currently working with the NYPD Aviation Unit. The word is that the film will be an NYC-based futuristic action film about a helicopter pilot cop who heads up the Aviation Unit in the US and the creation of a super advanced yet dangerous helicopter which is also being pursued by terrorists.
Instead of circulating a screenplay to his crew, Nolan has apparently made sure they each receive “high quality” versions of the 1983 film “Blue Thunder,” starring Roy Scheider. “Blue Thunder” is a decent action movie, directed by John Badham, that shows up every once in a while in underrated ‘80s lists. It should be noted that the source says the film won’t be a remake of “Blue Thunder,” but instead heavily inspired by it. Nolan is a fan of the film and it was his starting point when putting the project together.
The third rumor, and one that THR had originally debunked, before later clarifying that they actually had no idea if it was true or not, is that Nolan is indeed remaking “The Prisoner,” an acclaimed UK TV series from the ‘70s. Many online have noted how Nolan’s casting of Matt Damon was absolutely perfect for the lead role in ‘Prisoner.’
So, there you have it, these are the current rumors circulating. I was told by my sources to expect more details on Nolan’s new project before the end of the year. Matt Belloni had previously reported that Nolan started writing the screenplay for this next film back in March, just a few days after “Oppenheimer” triumphed at the Oscars.
An early 2025 shoot is being prepped for the film. Universal is backing.
The theatrical version runs 108 minutes, so we're talking a nearly 2-hour-10-minute cut of a movie that works because it's lean, and I'm not sure anyone needs that.