Editing Christopher Nolan (section)

== Career ==
=== 1993–2003: Early career and breakthrough ===
After earning his bachelor's degree in English literature in 1993, Nolan worked as a [[Script analyst|script reader]], [[camera operator]] and director of [[corporate film]]s and [[industrial films]].<ref name="Tempest" /><ref name="Feinberg">{{Cite magazine |last=Feinberg, Scott |date=3 January 2015 |title=Christopher Nolan on ''Interstellar'' Critics, Making Original Films and Shunning Cell Phones and Email (Q&A) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/christopher-nolan-interstellar-critics-making-760897 |url-status=live |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117111636/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/christopher-nolan-interstellar-critics-making-760897 |archive-date=17 January 2018 |access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Fearville'' (1997) |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b81581f07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107104214/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b81581f07 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |access-date=1 February 2017 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref> He directed, wrote and edited the short film ''[[Larceny (short film)|Larceny]]'' (1996),{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=34}} which was filmed over a weekend in black and white with limited equipment and a small cast and crew.{{sfn|Mooney|2018|p=5}}<ref>{{Cite news |title=Christopher Nolan: The Movies. The Memories |url=https://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1052 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064331/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1052 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=12 February 2013 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|issue=253}}</ref> Funded by Nolan and shot with the [[UCL Union]] Film society's equipment, it appeared at the [[Cambridge Film Festival]] in 1996 and is considered one of UCL's best shorts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UCLU Film Society, London |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uczxflm/productions/archive/9495 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810232748/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uczxflm/productions/archive/9495/ |archive-date=10 August 2012 |access-date=12 February 2013 |publisher=[[University College London]]}}</ref> For unknown reasons, the film has since been removed from public view.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=34}} Nolan filmed a third short, ''[[Doodlebug (film)|Doodlebug]]'' (1997), about a man seemingly chasing an insect with his shoe, only to discover that it is a miniature of himself.{{sfn|Mooney|2018|p=6}}<ref name="independent">{{Cite news |last=Hooton |first=Christopher |date=10 April 2017 |title=Christopher Nolan's student short film ''Doodlebug'' shows the ''Dunkirk'' director's humble beginnings |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/christopher-nolan-director-dunkirk-short-first-film-doodlebug-student-ucl-london-a7675861.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722194629/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/christopher-nolan-director-dunkirk-short-first-film-doodlebug-student-ucl-london-a7675861.html |archive-date=22 July 2019 |access-date=22 July 2019 |work=[[The Independent]]|url-access=registration}}</ref>

Nolan and Thomas first attempted to make a feature in the mid-1990s titled ''Larry Mahoney'', which they scrapped.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whitington |first1=Paul |title=How Christopher Nolan has held true to his sweeping vision with ''Tenet'' |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/how-christopher-nolan-has-held-true-to-his-sweeping-vision-with-tenet-39466428.html |access-date=10 December 2022 |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=22 August 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210113740/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/how-christopher-nolan-has-held-true-to-his-sweeping-vision-with-tenet-39466428.html |url-status=live }}{{subscription required}}</ref> During this period in his career, Nolan had little to no success getting his projects off the ground, facing several rejections; he added, "[T]here's a very limited pool of finance in the UK. To be honest, it's a very clubby kind of place&nbsp;... Never had any support whatsoever from the British film industry."<ref name="AndrewPulver05">{{Cite news |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=15 June 2005 |title=He's not a god – he's human |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/jun/15/features.features11 |url-status=live |access-date=23 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224110327/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/jun/15/features.features11 |archive-date=24 December 2013}}</ref>

Shortly after abandoning ''Larry Mahoney'', Nolan conceived the idea for his first feature, ''[[Following]]'' (1998), which he wrote, directed, photographed and edited. The film depicts an unemployed young writer ([[Jeremy Theobald]]) who trails strangers through London, hoping they will provide material for his first novel, but is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance. It was inspired by Nolan's experience of living in London and having his apartment burgled; he observed that the common attribute between larceny and pursuing someone through a crowd was that they both cross social boundaries.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=20–21}} Co-produced by Nolan with Thomas and Theobald,{{sfn|Shone|2020|p=441}} it was made on a budget of around £3,000. Most of the cast and crew were friends of Nolan, and shooting took place on weekends over the course of a year.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=24; 42}} To conserve [[film stock]], each scene was rehearsed extensively to ensure that the first or second take could be used in the final edit.{{sfn|Mooney|2018|p=6}}<ref name="Tobias">{{cite news|author=Tobias, Scott|url=https://www.avclub.com/christopher-nolan-1798208223|title= Interview: Christopher Nolan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018024630/http://www.avclub.com/articles/christopher-nolan,13769/ |archive-date=18 October 2013 |work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=5 June 2002|access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref> ''Following'' won several awards during its festival run and was well-received by critics who labelled Nolan a majorly talented debutant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tiger Awards Competition: previous winners |url=http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/about/awards-and-jury/tiger-awards/previous-winners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121013119/http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/about/awards-and-jury/tiger-awards/previous-winners/ |archive-date=21 January 2013 |access-date=12 February 2013 |publisher=[[International Film Festival Rotterdam]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=30–31}} [[Scott Timberg]] of ''[[New Times LA]]'' wrote that it "echoed [[Hitchcock]] classics", but was "leaner and meaner".<ref name="Timberg">{{Cite news |last=Timberg |first=Scott |author-link=Scott Timberg|date=15 March 2001 |title=Indie Angst |url=http://cinefiles.bampfa.berkeley.edu/cinefiles/DocDetail?docId=49987 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815135228/https://cinefiles.bampfa.berkeley.edu/cinefiles/DocDetail?docId=49987 |archive-date=15 August 2017 |access-date=4 June 2013 |work=[[New Times LA]]|via=[[CineFiles]]}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' was impressed with its "spare look" and "agile hand-held camerawork", saying, "As a result, the actors convincingly carry off the before, during and after modes that the film eventually, and artfully, weaves together."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=Film Festival Review: Walking Along a Crooked Path |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE1D71439F931A35757C0A96F958260 |url-status=dead |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204011800/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE1D71439F931A35757C0A96F958260 |archive-date=4 February 2017|url-access=limited|date=2 April 1999}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| width = 25%
| quote = "The difference between shooting ''[[Following]]'' with a group of friends wearing our own clothes and my mum making sandwiches to spending $4&nbsp;million of somebody else's money on ''[[Memento (film)|Memento]]'' and having a crew of a hundred people is, to this day, by far the biggest leap I've ever made."
| source = —Nolan on the jump from his first film to his second (2012)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Macdonald |first1=Moira |title=An interview with Christopher Nolan |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/an-interview-with-christopher-nolan/ |access-date=1 December 2022 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=17 July 2012 |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201164842/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/an-interview-with-christopher-nolan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

''Following''{{'s}} success afforded Nolan the opportunity to make ''[[Memento (film)|Memento]]'' (2000), which became his breakthrough film. His brother Jonathan pitched the idea to him, about a man with [[anterograde amnesia]] who uses notes and tattoos to hunt for his wife's murderer. Jonathan worked the idea into a short story, "[[Memento Mori (short story)|Memento Mori]]" (2001), and Nolan developed it into a screenplay that told the story in reverse. Aaron Ryder, an executive for [[Newmarket Films]], said it was "perhaps the most innovative script I had ever seen".{{sfn|Mottram|2002|p=176}} The film was optioned and given a budget of $4.5{{nbsp}}million, with [[Guy Pearce]] and [[Carrie-Anne Moss]] in the starring roles.{{sfn|Mottram|2002|p=177}} Newmarket also distributed the film after it was rejected by studios who feared that it would not attract a wide audience. Following a positive [[word of mouth]] and screenings in 500 theatres, it earned $40{{nbsp}}million.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=45–48}} ''Memento'' premiered at the [[Venice Film Festival]] in September 2000 to critical acclaim.{{sfn|Mottram|2002|pp=62–64}} [[Joe Morgenstern]] of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' wrote in his review, "I can't remember when a movie has seemed so clever, strangely affecting and slyly funny at the very same time."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morgenstern |first=Joe |title=Hero With No Memory Turns ''Memento'' Into Unforgettable Trip |author-link=Joe Morgenstern |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB9846986937127287|date=16 March 2001 |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326002730/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB9846986937127287 |archive-date=26 March 2015|url-access=subscription}} {{subscription required}}</ref> In the book ''The Philosophy of Neo-Noir'', Basil Smith drew a comparison with [[John Locke]]'s ''[[An Essay Concerning Human Understanding]]'', which argues that conscious memories constitute our identities – a theme Nolan explores in the film.{{sfn|Smith|2007|p=35}} ''Memento'' earned Nolan many accolades, including nominations for an [[Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)|Academy Award]] and a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay]], as well as two [[Independent Spirit Award]]s: [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]].<ref name="nytimesawards">{{Cite news |date=2013 |title=Christopher Nolan awards |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/240025/Christopher-Nolan/awards |url-status=dead |access-date=26 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024065520/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/240025/Christopher-Nolan/awards |archive-date=24 October 2013|url-access=limited}}</ref>{{sfn|Shone|2020|p=19}} Six critics listed it as one of the best [[2000s in film|films of the 2000s]].<ref name="Metadecade">{{Cite web |last=Dietz|first=Jason|date=3 January 2010 |title=Film Critics Pick the Best Movies of the Decade |url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-pick-the-best-movies-of-the-decade |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428073436/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-pick-the-best-movies-of-the-decade |archive-date=28 April 2017 |access-date=4 September 2012 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> In 2001, Nolan and Emma Thomas founded the production company [[Syncopy Inc.]]<ref name="syncopy"/>{{efn|The name of the company is derived from [[Syncope (medicine)|syncope]], a medical term for fainting. [[Sorcha Ní Fhlainn]], a lecturer specialising in film studies, alluded this wordplay to Nolan's style of "disorientation" in his work. She also associated the name with synthetic and philosopher [[Jean Baudrillard]]'s [[treatise]] ''[[Simulacra and Simulation]]''.{{sfn|Ní Fhlainn|2015|p=161}}}}

Impressed by his work on ''Memento'', filmmaker [[Steven Soderbergh]] recommended Nolan to [[Warner Bros.]] to direct the [[psychological thriller]] ''[[Insomnia (2002 film)|Insomnia]]'' (2002), although the studio initially wanted a more seasoned director.{{sfn|deWaard|Tait|2013|p=49}} A remake of the 1997 [[Insomnia (1997 film)|Norwegian thriller of the same name]], the film is viewed as "the outlier of Nolan's filmography" due to its perceived lack of unconventionality he is known for.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=50}} Starring [[Al Pacino]], [[Robin Williams]] and [[Hilary Swank]],{{sfn|Shone|2020|p=442}} ''Insomnia'' follows two Los Angeles detectives sent to a northern Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a local teenager. It received positive reviews from critics and earned $113{{nbsp}}million against a budget of $46{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Insomnia'' |date=24 May 2002 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1114154-insomnia/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100802163407/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1114154-insomnia/ |archive-date=2 August 2010 |access-date=18 January 2014 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Insomnia'' |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=insomnia.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808004401/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=insomnia.htm |archive-date=8 August 2010 |access-date=18 January 2014 |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] praised the film for introducing new perspectives and ideas on the issues of morality and guilt, adding, "Unlike most remakes, the Nolan ''Insomnia'' is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=24 May 2002 |title=''Insomnia'' review |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/insomnia-2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213010524/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/insomnia-2002 |archive-date=13 February 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |work=RogerEbert.com|author-link=Roger Ebert}}</ref> [[Richard Schickel]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' deemed ''Insomnia'' a "worthy successor" to ''Memento'' and "a triumph of atmosphere over a none-too-mysterious mystery".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Schickel |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Schickel|date=19 May 2002 |title=Sleepless in Alaska |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,238623,00.html |url-status=live |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113065714/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,238623,00.html |archive-date=13 January 2015 |access-date=16 February 2015}}</ref>

''Following'', ''Memento'' and ''Insomnia'' established Nolan's image as an "[[auteur]]".{{sfn|Hill-Parks|2015|p=26}} After the lattermost, he wrote a screenplay for a [[Howard Hughes]] biopic. Nolan reluctantly tabled his script after learning that [[Martin Scorsese]] was already making one such film: ''[[The Aviator (2004 film)|The Aviator]]'' (2004).{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=64–65}} He was then briefly attached to direct a film adaptation of [[Ruth Rendell]]'s novel ''[[The Keys to the Street]]'' for [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]] but chose to direct ''[[Batman Begins]]'' instead.<ref name=chapman>{{cite web|last=Chapman|first=Wilson|title=Christopher Nolan's Unmade Films: Movies the ''Oppenheimer'' Director Almost Made|date=20 July 2023|website=IndieWire|url=https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/christopher-nolan-unmade-films/|accessdate=11 August 2023|archive-date=26 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826135828/https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/christopher-nolan-unmade-films/|url-status=live}}</ref> Nolan turned down an offer to direct the historical epic ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'' (2004).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jagernauth |first=Kevin |title=Trivia: When Christopher Nolan First Came to Warner Bros., He Was Offered ''Troy'' to Direct |publisher=[[IndieWire]] |date=21 June 2013|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/trivia-when-christopher-nolan-first-came-to-warner-bros-he-was-offered-troy-to-direct-20130621 |url-status=dead |access-date=12 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813021758/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/trivia-when-christopher-nolan-first-came-to-warner-bros-he-was-offered-troy-to-direct-20130621 |archive-date=13 August 2014}}</ref> In April 2003, filmmaker [[David O. Russell]] put Nolan in a [[Grappling hold|headlock]] at a Hollywood party after learning that [[Jude Law]], whom Russell wanted to cast, had decided to work with Nolan instead. Russell pressured Nolan to display "artistic solidarity" by relinquishing Law from his cast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Waxman |first=Sharon |author-link=Sharon Waxman |date=19 September 2004 |title=The Nudist Buddhist Borderline-Abusive Love-In |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/movies/the-nudist-buddhist-borderlineabusive-lovein.html |access-date=27 December 2022 |url-access=limited |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014203253/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/movies/the-nudist-buddhist-borderlineabusive-lovein.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="vulture">{{Cite news |last=Zhan |first=Jennifer |date=5 October 2022 |title=A Timeline of the Allegations Against Amsterdam Director David O. Russell |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/david-o-russell-abuse-assault-allegations-timeline.html |access-date=27 December 2022 |work=[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]] |archive-date=26 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226011317/https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/david-o-russell-abuse-assault-allegations-timeline.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 2003–2013: Widespread recognition ===
In early 2003, Nolan approached Warner Bros. with the idea of making a new [[Batman]] film, based on the character's origin story.<ref name="bb-latimes">{{Cite news |last=Greenberg |first=James |date=8 May 2005 |title=Rescuing Batman |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-08-ca-batman8-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217132113/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-08-ca-batman8-story.html |archive-date=17 December 2019 |access-date=17 December 2019 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Nolan was fascinated by the notion of grounding it in a more realistic world than a comic-book fantasy.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=73–75}} He relied heavily on traditional [[stunt]]s and [[miniature effect]]s during filming, with minimal use of [[computer-generated imagery]] (CGI).{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=69}} ''[[Batman Begins]]'' (2005), the biggest project Nolan had undertaken to that point,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Foundas |first=Scott |title=Christopher Nolan looks back over the ''Dark Knight'' trilogy in this extended interview |url=http://filmcomment.com/article/cinematic-faith-christopher-nolan-scott-foundas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820002832/https://www.filmcomment.com/article/cinematic-faith-christopher-nolan-scott-foundas/ |archive-date=20 August 2017 |access-date=27 June 2013 |work=Film Comment}}</ref> was released to critical acclaim and commercial success.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Batman Begins''|date=15 June 2005 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115152611/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/ |archive-date=15 January 2018 |access-date=18 January 2014 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Starring [[Christian Bale]] as [[Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy)|Bruce Wayne / Batman]]—along with [[Michael Caine]], [[Gary Oldman]], [[Morgan Freeman]] and [[Liam Neeson]]—''Batman Begins'' revived the franchise.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sims|first=David|title=The Complicated Legacy of ''Batman Begins'' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/the-complicated-legacy-of-batman-begins/395477/|date=10 June 2015 |url-status=live |work=[[The Atlantic]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611041139/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/the-complicated-legacy-of-batman-begins/395477/ |archive-date=11 June 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015|url-access=subscription}} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Shawn|last= Adler |date=14 August 2008 |title=He-Man' Movie Will Go Realistic: 'We're Not Talking About Putting Nipples on the Trapjaw Suit |url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/08/14/he-man-movie-will-go-realistic-were-not-talking-about-putting-nipples-on-the-trapjaw-suit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902155525/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/08/14/he-man-movie-will-go-realistic-were-not-talking-about-putting-nipples-on-the-trapjaw-suit |archive-date=2 September 2008 |access-date=8 April 2013|publisher=[[MTV]]}}</ref> ''Batman Begins'' was 2005's ninth-highest-grossing film and was praised for its psychological depth and contemporary relevance;<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=2005 Worldwide Box Office |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/2005/?ref_=bo_cso_table_1 |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=13 December 2022 |archive-date=7 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707054520/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=2005&p=.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Christopher Nolan Season at BFI Southbank in July 2012 |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-press-release-christopher-nolan-season-at-bfi-southbank-in-july-2012-06-06.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093423/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-press-release-christopher-nolan-season-at-bfi-southbank-in-july-2012-06-06.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=31 March 2014 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref> it is cited as one of the most influential films of the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rothman|first=Michael|title=''Batman Begins'': 5 Ways the Movie Changed Hollywood|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=16 June 2019|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/batman-begins-ways-movie-changed-hollywood/story?id=31802311|access-date=3 December 2022|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726151554/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/batman-begins-ways-movie-changed-hollywood/story?id=31802311|url-status=live}}</ref> Film author Ian Nathan wrote that within five years of his career, Nolan "[went] from unknown to indie darling to gaining creative control over one of the biggest properties in Hollywood, and (perhaps unwittingly) fomenting the genre that would redefine the entire industry".{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=58–59}}

Nolan directed, co-wrote and produced ''[[The Prestige (film)|The Prestige]]'' (2006), an adaptation of [[The Prestige|the Christopher Priest novel]] about two rival 19th-century magicians.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=78}} The screenplay was the result of an intermittent, five-year collaboration between him and his brother Jonathan, who had begun writing it already in 2001. Nolan initially intended to make the film as early as 2003, but had postponed the project after agreeing to make ''Batman Begins''.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=79}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fleming|first=Michael|date=16 April 2003|title=Nolan wants 'Prestige' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/nolan-wants-prestige-1117884751 |url-status=live |access-date=9 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005094256/http://variety.com/2003/film/news/nolan-wants-prestige-1117884751/ |archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref> Starring [[Hugh Jackman]] and Christian Bale in the lead roles of rival magicians, ''The Prestige'' received critical acclaim and received two Academy Award nominations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Child |first1=Ben |title=Prestige novelist: Christopher Nolan's Batman movies 'boring and pretentious' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/28/prestige-novelist-christopher-nolans-batman-movies-boring-and-pretentious |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=28 November 2014 |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213170546/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/28/prestige-novelist-christopher-nolans-batman-movies-boring-and-pretentious |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Oscars 2007: full list of winners and nominees |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/26/awardsandprizes.oscars2007|date=26 February 2007 |url-status=live |access-date=26 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815183501/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/26/awardsandprizes.oscars2007 |archive-date=15 August 2017}}</ref> Roger Ebert described it as "quite a movie{{snd}}atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic",<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger |title=Now you see him...now you see him! |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-prestige-2007 |date=6 September 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203004736/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-prestige-2007 |archive-date=3 February 2014 |access-date=18 January 2014 |work=RogerEbert.com|author-link=Roger Ebert}}</ref> and [[Kenneth Turan]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called it an "ambitious, unnerving melodrama".<ref>{{Cite news |first=Kenneth |last=Turan|author-link=Kenneth Turan|title=They've got something up their sleeves |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-20-et-prestige20-story.html|date=20 October 2006 |url-status=live |access-date=23 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814051743/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/20/entertainment/et-prestige20 |archive-date=14 August 2016}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'s}} [[Philip French]] wrote: "In addition to the intellectual or philosophical excitement it engenders, ''The Prestige'' is gripping, suspenseful, mysterious, moving and often darkly funny."<ref>{{Cite news|last=French|first=Philip |author-link=Philip French|title=''The Prestige'' |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/nov/12/drama.sciencefictionandfantasy |url-status=live |access-date=27 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221084521/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/nov/12/drama.sciencefictionandfantasy |archive-date=21 December 2016|date=12 November 2006}}</ref> Despite a negative box-office prognosis, the film earned over $109{{nbsp}}million against a budget of $40{{nbsp}}million.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=85, 94–95}}

[[File:The Dark Knight European Premier - Leicester square2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Nolan (left) with the cast and crew of ''[[The Dark Knight]]'' at the 2008 European premiere in London|alt=Christopher Nolan speaking to the mic while four people are standing behind him]]

''[[The Dark Knight]]'' (2008), the follow-up to ''Batman Begins'', was Nolan's next venture. Initially reluctant to make a sequel, he agreed after Warner Bros. repeatedly insisted.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=96–97}} Nolan wanted to expand on the [[Film noir|noir]] quality of the first film by broadening the canvas and taking on "the dynamic of a story of the city, a large crime story{{nbsp}}... where you're looking at the police, the justice system, the vigilante, the poor people, the rich people, the criminals".<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Jolin|first=Dan |title=''The Dark Knight'': The Original Feature |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/dark-knight |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713133553/http://www.empireonline.com/features/dark-knight |archive-date=13 July 2012 |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> Continuing to minimise the use of CGI, Nolan employed high-resolution [[IMAX]] cameras, making it the first major motion picture to use this technology.{{sfn|Joy|2015|p=13}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tapley |first1=Kristopher |title=''The Dark Knight'' Set for 10th Anniversary Imax Re-Release (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/dark-knight-10th-anniversary-imax-re-release-1202875906/ |access-date=4 December 2022 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=18 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719004545/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/dark-knight-10th-anniversary-imax-re-release-1202875906/ |archive-date=19 July 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Dark Knight'' has been ranked as one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the [[List of films considered the best#Superhero|best superhero films ever made]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references<ref name="Metadecade" /><ref name="Paste">{{Cite news |date=3 November 2009 |title=The 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000–2009) |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/50-best-movies-of-the-decade-2000-2009.html?p=4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017223108/https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/50-best-movies-of-the-decade-2000-2009.html?p=4 |archive-date=17 October 2017 |access-date=14 December 2011 |work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref><ref name="Empiredecade">{{Cite news |title=Review of the Decade – Year-By-Year: ''Empire''{{'s}} Films of the Decade |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/reviewofthedecade/films-of-the-decade/9.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924063908/http://www.empireonline.com/features/reviewofthedecade/films-of-the-decade/9.asp |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=4 September 2012 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Dockterman |first1=Eliana |title=35 Sequels That Are Better Than the Original Movie |url=https://time.com/5353143/sequels-better-than-original/ |access-date=4 December 2022 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=30 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830181714/https://time.com/5353143/sequels-better-than-original/ |archive-date=30 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Readers' Poll: The 15 Greatest Superhero Movies |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/readers-poll-the-15-greatest-superhero-movies-10865/1-the-dark-knight-256287/ |access-date=4 December 2022 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811220136/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/readers-poll-the-15-greatest-superhero-movies-10865/ |archive-date=11 August 2022}}</ref>}} Many critics declare ''The Dark Knight'' to be "the most successful comic book film ever made".{{sfn|Zornado|Reilly|2021|p=166}} [[Manohla Dargis]] of ''The New York Times'' found the film to be of higher artistic merit than many Hollywood blockbusters: "Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, it goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book kind."<ref name="Dargis">{{Cite news |first=Manohla|last=Dargis |author-link=Manohla Dargis |date=18 July 2008 |title=''The Dark Knight''-Showdown in Gotham Town |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/movies/18knig.html |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810124137/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/movies/18knig.html |archive-date=10 August 2016|url-access=limited}}</ref> Ebert expressed a similar point of view, describing it as a "haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=16 July 2008 |title=''The Dark Knight'' |work=RogerEbert.com |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/REVIEWS/55996637 |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102060140/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/REVIEWS/55996637 |archive-date=2 January 2012}}</ref> ''The Dark Knight'' set many box-office records during its theatrical run,<ref>{{Cite news |first=Brooks |last=Barnes |date=28 July 2008 |title=''Dark Knight'' Wins Again at Box Office |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/movies/28box.html |url-status=live |access-date=21 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411150617/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/movies/28box.html |archive-date=11 April 2009|url-access=limited}}</ref> earning over $1{{nbsp}}billion worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''The Dark Knight'' (2008) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221104243/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm |archive-date=21 February 2014 |access-date=17 November 2012 |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> At the [[81st Academy Awards]], the film was nominated in eight categories, winning two: [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]] for [[Richard King (sound designer)|Richard King]] and a posthumous [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor award]] for [[Heath Ledger]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/81st-winners.html |title=The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners |date=7 October 2014 |access-date=2 December 2022 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20141018060312/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2009 |archive-date=18 October 2014}}</ref> The film's failure to garner a Best Picture nomination was criticised by the media. Beginning in 2010, the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|Academy]] increased their Best Picture nominees from five to ten, a change known as "The Dark Knight Rule".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weldon |first1=Glen |title=A Superhero Movie Got a Screenplay Nomination: Glitch or Game-Changer? |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/01/25/580219918/a-superhero-movie-got-a-screenplay-nomination-glitch-or-game-changer |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=10 December 2022 |date=25 January 2018 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210120859/https://www.npr.org/2018/01/25/580219918/a-superhero-movie-got-a-screenplay-nomination-glitch-or-game-changer |url-status=live }}</ref> Nolan received many [[List of accolades received by The Dark Knight|awards and nominations]] for his work on the film.<ref name="nytimesawards" /> In the late 2000s, Nolan was reported to direct a film adaptation of the 1960s television series ''[[The Prisoner]]''.<ref name=chapman/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-pay-1235938430/|title=Christopher Nolan's Final 'Oppenheimer' Payday Close to $100 Million (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|publisher=Variety|date=12 March 2024|access-date=12 March 2024|language=en|archive-date=12 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312171444/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-pay-1235938430/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The success of ''The Dark Knight'' allowed Warner Bros. to sign Nolan to write, direct and co-produce ''[[Inception]]'' (2010) – a film for which he had the idea around nine years before its release.{{sfn|McGowan|2012|p=147}} Nolan described the film as "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind".<ref name="Tackles">{{Cite news |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=11 February 2009 |title=Nolan tackles ''Inception'' for WB |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/features/nolan-tackles-inception-for-wb-1117999988/ |url-status=live |access-date=2 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414183155/http://variety.com/article/VR1117999988.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |archive-date=14 April 2009}}</ref> Starring a large ensemble cast led by [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], the film became a critical and commercial success upon its release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldberg|first=Matt|date=23 December 2010 |title=Warner Bros. Keeping ''Inception'' in Oscar-voters' Minds With 'New' Behind-the-Scenes Featurette |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |url=https://collider.com/inception-oscar-featurette |url-status=live |access-date=15 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822054454/http://collider.com/inception-oscar-featurette/ |archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref> Film critic [[Mark Kermode]] named it the best film of 2010, stating "''Inception'' is proof that people are not stupid, that cinema is not trash, and that it is possible for blockbusters and art to be the same thing."<ref name="Kermode">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/entries/5e3e4864-ca72-3dda-b4ab-6b8a1debc437 |title=Kermode Uncut: My Top Five Films of the Year |date=24 December 2010 |last=Kermode |first=Mark |publisher=[[BBC]] |author-link=Mark Kermode |time=5:05 |access-date=21 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106172155/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2010/12/my_top_five_films_of_the_year.html |archive-date=6 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Philosophy professor [[David Kyle Johnson]] wrote that "''Inception'' became a classic almost as soon as it was projected on silver screens", praising its exploration of philosophical ideas, including [[leap of faith]] and [[allegory of the cave]].{{sfn|Johnson|2020|p=2}} The film grossed over $836{{nbsp}}million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Inception'' (2010) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1375666/?ref_=bo_rl_ti |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030220255/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=inception.htm |archive-date=30 October 2012 |access-date=2 November 2012 |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> Nominated for eight Academy Awards—including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay—it won [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]], [[Best Sound Mixing]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]] and [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]].<ref name="Academy Awards 2010 (83rd)">{{Cite web |title=2011 Academy Awards Nominations and Winners |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011/I?qt-honorees=1#block-quicktabs-honorees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802040831/http://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011/I?qt-honorees=1#block-quicktabs-honorees |archive-date=2 August 2017 |access-date=26 July 2017|publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref> Nolan was nominated for a [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|BAFTA Award]] and a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director]], [[List of accolades received by Inception|among other accolades]].<ref name="nytimesawards" />

[[File:Christopher Nolan, London, 2013 (crop).jpg|thumb|upright|Nolan at the 2013 premiere of ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]'' in London|alt=Christopher Nolan is looking directly towards the camera.]]
Around the release of ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]'' (2012), Nolan's third and final Batman film, Joseph Bevan of the [[British Film Institute]] wrote a profile on him: "In the space of just over a decade, Christopher Nolan has shot from promising British indie director to undisputed master of a new brand of intelligent escapism."<ref name="bevan">{{cite web |last1=Bevan |first1=Joseph |title=Christopher Nolan: escape artist |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/christopher-nolan-escape-artist |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204090138/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/christopher-nolan-escape-artist |archive-date=4 December 2014 |date=18 July 2012}}</ref> After initial hesitation, Nolan agreed to return to direct ''The Dark Knight Rises'' and worked with his brother and [[David S. Goyer]] to develop a story that he felt would end [[Batman in film#The Dark Knight trilogy|the trilogy]] on a high note.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=138–139}} The film was released to positive reviews.<ref>{{Cite news|title=''The Dark Knight Rises'' receives overwhelmingly positive early reviews |url=https://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/the-dark-knight-rises-receives-overwhelmingly-positive/275513 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305150913/http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/the-dark-knight-rises-receives-overwhelmingly-positive/275513 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=17 April 2020 |work=[[NME]]}}</ref> Kenneth Turan found the film "potent, persuasive and hypnotic" and "more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard".<ref>{{cite news|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dark-knight-20120719-story.html |title=Review: ''The Dark Knight Rises'' more than shines, and on many levels|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=18 July 2012|access-date=6 December 2022|author-link=Kenneth Turan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513141228/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dark-knight-20120719-story.html |archive-date=13 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Christy Lemire]] of ''[[HuffPost]]'' wrote in her review that Nolan concluded his trilogy in a "typically spectacular, ambitious fashion", but disliked the "overloaded" story and excessive grimness.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lemire |first=Christy |date=16 July 2012 |title=Batman Review: Is ''The Dark Knight Rises'' an Epic Letdown? |work=[[HuffPost]] |agency= |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/batman-review-dark-knight-rises-letdown_n_1677247.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317011538/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/batman-review-dark-knight-rises-letdown_n_1677247.html |archive-date=17 March 2014}}</ref> ''The Dark Knight Rises'' was a box office success, becoming the thirteenth film to gross $1{{nbsp}}billion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=2 September 2012 |title=Box Office Milestone: ''Dark Knight Rises'' Crosses $1 Billion Worldwide |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestone-dark-knight-rises-warner-bros-christopher-nolan-christian-bale-367476 |url-status=live |access-date=17 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109092114/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestone-dark-knight-rises-warner-bros-christopher-nolan-christian-bale-367476 |archive-date=9 January 2014}}</ref> During a midnight showing of the film in [[Aurora, Colorado]], [[2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting|a gunman opened fire inside the theatre]], killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.{{sfn|Koole et al.|2013|pp=147–148}} Nolan released a statement expressing his condolences for the victims of what he described as a "senseless tragedy".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Morley|first=Will|date=20 July 2012|title=Christopher Nolan on Theater Shooting: 'I Would Like to Express Our Profound Sorrow' |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/07/20/christopher-nolan-dark-knight-rises-shooting-statement |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721130638/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/07/20/christopher-nolan-dark-knight-rises-shooting-statement/ |archive-date=21 July 2012 |access-date=6 December 2022|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

''The Dark Knight'' trilogy inspired a trend in future superhero films seeking to replicate its gritty, realistic tone to little success. The second instalment in particular revitalised the genre at a time when recent superhero films had failed to meet expectations.<ref name="Child2015">{{cite news |last1=Child |first1=Ben |title=Christopher Nolan's Batman movies will endure |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/12/christopher-nolan-batman-movies-superhero-escapism-fad |access-date=6 December 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131223820/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/12/christopher-nolan-batman-movies-superhero-escapism-fad |archive-date=31 January 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sims |first1=David |title=''The Dark Knight'' Changed Hollywood Movies Forever |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/07/the-dark-knight-legitimized-the-superhero-movie-for-better-and-worse/565448/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=18 July 2018 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310192048/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/07/the-dark-knight-legitimized-the-superhero-movie-for-better-and-worse/565448/|archive-date=10 March 2022}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Ben Child of ''The Guardian'' wrote that the three films "will remain thrilling totems of the genre for decades to come".<ref name="Child2015"/> During story discussions for ''The Dark Knight Rises'', Goyer told Nolan of his idea about ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]'' (2013), which the latter would produce.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dibdin |first1=Emma |title=''Dark Knight'' inspired ''Man of Steel'' |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a468532/man-of-steel-writer-david-s-goyer-inspired-by-dark-knight-rises/ |access-date=30 December 2022 |work=[[Digital Spy]] |date=26 March 2013 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230201626/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a468532/man-of-steel-writer-david-s-goyer-inspired-by-dark-knight-rises/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Impressed with [[Zack Snyder]]'s work in ''[[300 (film)|300]]'' (2006) and ''[[Watchmen (2009 film)|Watchmen]]'' (2009), Nolan hired him to direct the film.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Itzkoff|date=22 May 2013 |title=Alien, Yet Familiar |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/movies/man-of-steel-aims-to-make-superman-relevant-again.html |url-status=live |access-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523184437/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/movies/man-of-steel-aims-to-make-superman-relevant-again.html |archive-date=23 May 2013|url-access=limited}}</ref> Starring [[Henry Cavill]] as [[Superman (DC Extended Universe)|Clark Kent]] who learns that he is a powerful alien, ''Man of Steel'' received mixed reviews and grossed more than $660{{nbsp}}million against a budget of $220{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Man of Steel'' Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/man-of-steel |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706192545/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/man-of-steel |archive-date=6 July 2014 |access-date=12 June 2013 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Man of Steel'' |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0770828/ |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=31 December 2022 |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217133914/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0770828/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 2014–2019: ''Interstellar'', ''Dunkirk'' and other activities ===
[[File:Jonathan Nolan by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Nolan and his younger brother, [[Jonathan Nolan|Jonathan]] (''pictured'' in 2017), wrote several screenplays together, including that of ''Interstellar''.|alt=Jonathan Nolan looking to his left]]

Nolan next directed, wrote and produced the science-fiction film ''[[Interstellar (film)|Interstellar]]'' (2014). The first drafts of the script were written by Jonathan Nolan, and it was originally to be directed by [[Steven Spielberg]].{{sfn|Nathan|2022|pp=160–161}} Based on the scientific theories of [[theoretical physicist]] [[Kip Thorne]], the film follows a group of [[astronaut]]s who travel through a [[wormhole]] in search of a new home for humanity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jagernauth|first=Kevin |date=10 January 2013 |title=Christopher Nolan's Merging an Original Idea with Jonah Nolan's Old Screenplay for ''Interstellar'' |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/christopher-nolans-merging-an-original-idea-with-jonah-nolans-old-screenplay-for-interstellar-20130110 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112010928/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/christopher-nolans-merging-an-original-idea-with-jonah-nolans-old-screenplay-for-interstellar-20130110 |archive-date=12 January 2013 |access-date=13 January 2013 |publisher=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> In a 2014 discussion of the film's physics, Nolan expressed his admiration for [[scientific objectivity]], wishing it were applied "in every aspect of our civilisation".<ref name="ThorneNolan">{{Cite magazine |last=Kluger|first=Jeffery|title=Watch Christopher Nolan and Kip Thorne Discuss the Physics of ''Interstellar'' |url=https://time.com/3602525/christopher-nolan-physics-interstellar-kip-thorne/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214175028/http://time.com/3602525/christopher-nolan-physics-interstellar-kip-thorne/ |archive-date=14 February 2016 |access-date=15 August 2017|date=24 November 2014}}</ref> ''Interstellar'' – starring [[Matthew McConaughey]], [[Anne Hathaway]] and [[Jessica Chastain]] – was released to positive reviews and grossed $773{{nbsp}}million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Interstellar'' Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/interstellar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804225550/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/interstellar |archive-date=4 August 2017 |access-date=13 November 2014 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Interstellar'' (2014) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0816692/?ref_=bo_rl_ti |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316082328/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=interstellar.htm |archive-date=16 March 2015 |access-date=12 January 2015 |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> Observing its "visual dazzle, thematic ambition", ''The New York Times''{{'s}} [[A. O. Scott]] wrote that ''Interstellar'' is a "sweeping, futuristic adventure driven by grief, dread and regret".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Off to the Stars, with Grief, Dread and Regret |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=4 November 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/movies/interstellar-christopher-nolans-search-for-a-new-planet.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828121417/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/movies/interstellar-christopher-nolans-search-for-a-new-planet.html |archive-date=28 August 2016|last1=Scott |first1=A. O. |author-link=A. O. Scott|url-access=limited}}</ref> Documentary filmmaker [[Toni Myers]] called the film "a real work of art" and praised it for exploring a story spanning multiple generations.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Richard |last=Trenholm|title=Space station film school: How astronauts shot this glorious IMAX movie |url=https://www.cnet.com/science/space-station-film-school-how-astronauts-shot-this-glorious-imax-documentary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610145325/http://www.cnet.com/news/space-station-film-school-how-astronauts-shot-this-glorious-imax-documentary/ |date=10 June 2016|archive-date=10 June 2016 |access-date=27 January 2016 |publisher=[[CNET]]}}</ref> ''Interstellar'' was particularly praised for its scientific accuracy, which led to the publication of two [[scientific papers|academic papers]].{{sfn|James et al.|2015a}}{{sfn|James et al.|2015b}} The ''[[American Journal of Physics]]'' called for it to be shown in school science lessons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ghosh |first=Pallab |date=23 June 2015 |title=''Interstellar'' 'should be shown in school lessons' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33173197 |url-status=live |access-date=23 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624075813/http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33173197 |archive-date=24 June 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|James et al.|2015b|p=486}} At the [[87th Academy Awards]], the film won Best Visual Effects and received four other nominations.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=D'Addario|first=Daniel|date=15 January 2015 |title=Oscars 2015: See the Full List of Nominees |url=https://time.com/3668006/oscars-2015-nominations/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115180510/http://time.com/3668006/oscars-2015-nominations/ |archive-date=15 January 2015 |access-date=16 January 2015}}</ref> Also in 2014, Nolan and Emma Thomas served as executive producers on ''[[Transcendence (2014 film)|Transcendence]]'', the directorial debut of his longtime cinematographer [[Wally Pfister]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=13 June 2012 |title=Christopher Nolan to Exec Produce Wally Pfister's Directorial Debut |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/christopher-nolan-wally-pfister-dark-knight-rises-337015 |url-status=live |access-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922192453/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/christopher-nolan-wally-pfister-dark-knight-rises-337015 |archive-date=22 September 2012}}</ref>

In the mid-2010s, Nolan took part in several ventures for film preservation and distribution of the work of lesser-known filmmakers. His production company, Syncopy, formed a joint venture with [[Zeitgeist Films]] to release [[Blu-ray]] editions of Zeitgeist's films.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=19 February 2015 |title=Christopher Nolan's Syncopy Teaming With Zeitgeist on Blu-ray Releases (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/christopher-nolans-syncopy-teaming-with-zeitgeist-on-blu-ray-releases-exclusive-1201437195/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224023820/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/christopher-nolans-syncopy-teaming-with-zeitgeist-on-blu-ray-releases-exclusive-1201437195/ |archive-date=24 February 2015 |access-date=23 February 2015}}</ref> As a part of the Blu-ray release of the animation films of the [[Brothers Quay]], Nolan directed the documentary short ''[[Quay (film)|Quay]]'' (2015). He initiated a theatrical tour, showcasing the Quays' ''[[In Absentia (film)|In Absentia]]'', ''The Comb'' and ''[[Street of Crocodiles]]''. [[IndieWire]] wrote that the brothers "will undoubtedly have hundreds, if not thousands more fans because of Nolan, and for that ''The Quay Brothers in 35mm'' will always be one of [the] latter's most important contributions to cinema".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=20 August 2015 |title=Why 'The Quay Brothers in 35mm' Is One of Christopher Nolan's Greatest Accomplishments |publisher=[[IndieWire]] |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2015/08/why-the-quay-brothers-in-35mm-is-one-of-christopher-nolans-greatest-accomplishments-59077/ |url-status=live |access-date=21 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821010112/http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-the-quay-brothers-in-35mm-is-one-of-christopher-nolans-greatest-accomplishments-20150820 |archive-date=21 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Labrecque |first=Jeff |date=27 July 2015 |title=Christopher Nolan's next movie is a documentary short |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/27/christopher-nolan-short-film-quay? |url-status=live |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729031620/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/27/christopher-nolan-short-film-quay |archive-date=29 July 2015}}</ref> An advocate for the survival of the analogue medium, Nolan and visual artist [[Tacita Dean]] invited representatives from leading American film archives, laboratories and presenting institutions to participate in an informal summit entitled ''Reframing the Future of Film'' at the [[Getty Museum]] in March 2015.<ref name="filmvsdigital 2">{{Cite news |last=Foundas |first=Scott |date=11 March 2015 |title=Christopher Nolan Rallies the Troops to Save Celluloid Film |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/columns/christopher-nolan-rallies-the-troops-to-save-celluloid-film-1201450536/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313152211/http://variety.com/2015/film/columns/christopher-nolan-rallies-the-troops-to-save-celluloid-film-1201450536/ |archive-date=13 March 2015 |access-date=12 March 2015 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first=Ben|last=Child |date=31 July 2014 |title=Tarantino and Nolan share a Kodak moment as studios fund film processing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/31/quentin-tarantino-christopher-nolan-kodak-film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227150531/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/31/quentin-tarantino-christopher-nolan-kodak-film |archive-date=27 February 2017 |access-date=27 February 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Subsequent events were held at [[Tate Modern]] in London, [[Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City|Museo Tamayo]] in Mexico City and [[Tata Theatre]] in [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sahani |first1=Alaka |title=On Christopher Nolan's upcoming visit to India, celluloid in digital era and preservation of film heritage |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/celluloid-dreams-4/ |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=29 March 2018 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213172609/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/celluloid-dreams-4/ |url-status=live }}{{subscription required}}</ref> In April 2015, Nolan joined the board of directors of [[The Film Foundation]], a non-profitable organisation dedicated to [[film preservation]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=22 April 2015 |title=Christopher Nolan Joins Film Foundation Board |url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/christopher-nolan-joins-film-foundation-board-1201414195/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424184303/http://deadline.com/2015/04/christopher-nolan-joins-film-foundation-board-1201414195/ |archive-date=24 April 2015 |access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref> and was appointed, along with Martin Scorsese, by the [[Library of Congress]] to serve on the [[National Film Preservation Board]] as DGA representatives.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2015 |title=DGA Congratulates Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan on Appointments to National Film Preservation Board |url=http://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2015/150507-DGA-Congratulates-Martin-Scorsese-and-Christopher-Nolan-for-NFPB-appointments.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521043452/http://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2015/150507-DGA-Congratulates-Martin-Scorsese-and-Christopher-Nolan-for-NFPB-appointments.aspx |archive-date=21 May 2015 |access-date=19 May 2015 |publisher=[[The Directors Guild of America]]}}</ref> Nolan serves on the [[Motion Picture & Television Fund]] Board of Governors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://mptf.com/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209111559/https://mptf.com/about-us/ |archive-date=9 February 2021 |access-date=4 February 2021 |publisher=[[Motion Picture & Television Fund]]}}</ref>

After serving as an executive producer on Zack Snyder's ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'' (2016) and ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' (2017),{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=246}}{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=247}} Nolan returned to directing with ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (2017). Based on his own original screenplay and co-produced with Thomas, the film is set amid World War II in 1940 and the [[Dunkirk evacuation|evacuation]] of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] soldiers from the beaches of [[Dunkirk]], France. Describing the film as a survival tale with a [[triptych]] structure, Nolan wanted to make a "sensory, almost experimental movie" with minimal dialogue.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Golhen |first=Gaël |date=28 February 2017 |title=Exclu: Christopher Nolan et ses collaborateurs révèlent 7 infos sur ''Dunkerque'' |url=http://www.premiere.fr/Cinema/News-Cinema/EXCLU-Christopher-Nolan-et-ses-collaborateurs-revelent-7-infos-sur-Dunkerque|trans-title=Exclusive: Christopher Nolan and his collaborators reveal 7 facts about ''Dunkirk'' |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228144316/http://www.premiere.fr/Cinema/News-Cinema/EXCLU-Christopher-Nolan-et-ses-collaborateurs-revelent-7-infos-sur-Dunkerque/ |archive-date=28 February 2017 |access-date=28 February 2017 |work=[[Première (magazine)|Première]]|language=fr}}</ref> He said he waited to make ''Dunkirk'' until he had earned the trust of a major studio to let him make it as a British film but with an American budget.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nolan |first=Christopher |date=8 July 2017 |title=Spitfires, flotillas of boats, rough seas and 1,000 extras: Christopher Nolan on the making of ''Dunkirk'', his most challenging film to date |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2017/07/08/spitfires-flotillas-boats-rough-seas-1000-extras-christopher/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 July 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170710035754/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2017/07/08/spitfires-flotillas-boats-rough-seas-1000-extras-christopher/ |archive-date=10 July 2017|url-access=subscription}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Before filming, Nolan sought advice from Spielberg, who later said in an interview with ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', "knowing and respecting that Chris [Nolan] is one of the world's most imaginative filmmakers, my advice to him was to leave his imagination, as I did on ''[[Saving Private Ryan|Ryan]]'', in second position to the research he was doing to authentically acquit this historical drama".<ref name="LangVariety">{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=8 November 2017 |title=Christopher Nolan Gets Candid on the State of Movies, Rise of TV and Spielberg's Influence |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/christopher-nolan-dunkirk-oscars-movies-tv-spielberg-1202607836/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108202018/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/christopher-nolan-dunkirk-oscars-movies-tv-spielberg-1202607836/ |archive-date=8 November 2017 |access-date=9 November 2017 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Starring an ensemble cast,<ref>{{Cite news |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=11 March 2016 |title=Harry Styles, Fionn Whitehead to Star in Christopher Nolan WW2 Action-Thriller ''Dunkirk'' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/harry-styles-one-direction-christopher-nolan-dunkirk-1201728153 |url-status=live |access-date=7 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504152927/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/harry-styles-one-direction-christopher-nolan-dunkirk-1201728153/ |archive-date=4 May 2016}}</ref> ''Dunkirk'' was released to widespread critical acclaim and strong box office results.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |date=17 July 2017 |title=''Dunkirk'': What the Critics Are Saying |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dunkirk-review-roundup-what-critics-are-saying-1021889 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170720161842/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dunkirk-review-roundup-what-critics-are-saying-1021889 |archive-date=20 July 2017 |access-date=19 July 2017 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Dunkirk'' Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/dunkirk/critic-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722182106/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/dunkirk/critic-reviews |archive-date=22 July 2017 |access-date=21 July 2017 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Keegan |first=Rebecca |date=24 July 2017 |title=How ''Dunkirk'', Summer's Boldest Box-Office Gamble, Paid Off |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/07/dunkirk-success-christopher-nolan |url-status=live |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727032810/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/07/dunkirk-success-christopher-nolan |archive-date=27 July 2017 |access-date=1 August 2017}}</ref> It grossed over $526{{nbsp}}million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing World War{{nbsp}}II film of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mithaiwala|first=Mansoor|date=15 September 2017 |title=''Dunkirk'' Becomes Highest Grossing WWII Film at Global Box Office |url=https://screenrant.com/dunkirk-highest-grossing-world-war-2-movie/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103140621/https://screenrant.com/dunkirk-highest-grossing-world-war-2-movie/ |archive-date=3 November 2019 |access-date=13 December 2019 |publisher=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref> In his review, [[Mick LaSalle]] of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote: "It's one of the best [[war film]]s ever made, distinct in its look, in its approach and in the effect it has on viewers. There are movies—they are rare—that lift you out of your present circumstances and immerse you so fully in another experience that you watch in a state of jaw-dropped awe. ''Dunkirk'' is that kind of movie."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Mick |last=LaSalle|author-link=Mick LaSalle|title=Not a victory, but a triumph in ''Dunkirk'' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Dunkirk-is-Christopher-Nolan-s-masterpiece-11297495.php|date=18 July 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528083008/https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Dunkirk-is-Christopher-Nolan-s-masterpiece-11297495.php |archive-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> The film received [[List of accolades received by Dunkirk|many accolades]], including Nolan's first Oscar nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]].<ref name="Sharf-2020"/>

[[File:Cannes 2018 4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.13|right|Nolan (right) with [[Keir Dullea]], Katharina Kubrick, Ron Sanders and [[Jan Harlan]] at the [[2018 Cannes Film Festival]]|alt=A picture showing five people standing on a red carpet]]
In 2018, Nolan supervised a new [[70 mm film|70{{nbsp}}mm]] print of [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), made from the [[original camera negative]]; he presented it at the [[2018 Cannes Film Festival]].{{sfn|Elsaesser|2020|p=43}} ''[[USA Today]]'' observed that festival-goers greeted Nolan "like a rock star with a standing ovation".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mandell |first=Andrea |date=13 May 2018 |title=Christopher Nolan inspires crazed Cannes crowd, talks ''Batman'' trilogy |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/05/13/cannes-festival-christopher-nolan-inspires-crazed-crowd-talks-batman/605699002/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513200908/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/05/13/cannes-festival-christopher-nolan-inspires-crazed-crowd-talks-batman/605699002/ |archive-date=13 May 2018}}</ref> A year later, Nolan and Thomas received executive producer credits on ''[[The Doll's Breath]]'' (2019), an animated short directed by the Quay brothers.<ref name="Quay-Doll">{{Cite web |date=11 September 2019 |title=''The Doll's Breath'' |url=https://www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-dolls-breath/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906110213/https://www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/the-dolls-breath/ |archive-date=6 September 2020 |access-date=11 September 2019 |publisher=Illuminations Media}}</ref>

=== 2020–present: ''Tenet'', ''Oppenheimer'' and ''The Odyssey'' ===
Nolan's next film was the science fiction film ''[[Tenet (film)|Tenet]]'' (2020), described by [[Tom Shone]] of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' as "a globe-spinning riff on all things Nolanesque".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shone |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Shone|date=23 August 2020a |title=Film review: ''Tenet'' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/film-review-tenet-2q6btbzrl |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823183242/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/film-review-tenet-2q6btbzrl |archive-date=23 August 2020 |access-date=23 August 2020 |work=[[The Sunday Times]]|url-access=subscription}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Nolan had worked on the screenplay for more than five years after deliberating about its central ideas for over a decade.<ref name="Maytum-Jun2020">{{Cite magazine |last=Maytum |first=Matt |date=June 2020 |title=Time to Spy |magazine=[[Total Film]] |issue=299 |pages=30–35}}</ref> Delayed three times due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], ''Tenet'' was the first Hollywood [[Tent-pole (entertainment)|tent-pole]] to open in theatres after the pandemic shutdown.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pamela, McClintock |date=6 September 2020 |title=Box Office: ''Tenet'' Debuts to $20M as U.S. Theaters Reopen, Nears $150M Globally |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-tenet-opens-to-20m-as-u-s-theaters-reopen-nears-150m-globally |url-status=live |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906220921/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-tenet-opens-to-20m-as-u-s-theaters-reopen-nears-150m-globally |archive-date=6 September 2020 |access-date=7 September 2020}}</ref> The film tells the story of an unnamed protagonist (played by [[John David Washington]]) who travels through time to stop a world-threatening attack.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Nate |title=A Beat-by-Beat Explanation of What Happens in ''Tenet'' |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/09/tenet-explained-whats-going-on-in-the-plot-of-this-movie.html |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]] |date=4 September 2020 |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213164958/https://www.vulture.com/2020/09/tenet-explained-whats-going-on-in-the-plot-of-this-movie.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It grossed $363{{nbsp}}million worldwide on a production budget of $200{{nbsp}}million, becoming Nolan's first to underperform at the box-office.{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=199}} ''Tenet'' was described as his most polarising film; critics praised the ambition and technical aspects but found its story confusing.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Tenet'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tenet |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=15 December 2022 |archive-date=26 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826154802/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tenet |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Sharf-2020">{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=21 August 2020 |title=''Tenet'' Divides Critics: Nolan's Latest Called a 'Monumental Spectacle' and 'Head-Scratching' Dud |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-critics-divided-christopher-nolan-1234581611/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109175125/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-critics-divided-christopher-nolan-1234581611/ |archive-date=9 January 2021 |access-date=9 January 2020 |publisher=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''The Guardian'' awarded it five out of five, calling it "a cerebral [[cadenza]], a deadpan flourish of crazy implausibility—but supercharged with steroidal energy and imagination".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=25 August 2020 |author-link=Peter Bradshaw|title=''Tenet'' review – supremely ambitious race against time makes for superb cinema |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/25/tenet-review-christopher-nolan-head-scratchingly-ambitious?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925095024/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/25/tenet-review-christopher-nolan-head-scratchingly-ambitious?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture |archive-date=25 September 2020 |access-date=25 August 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Leslie Felperin of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' described it as "a chilly, cerebral film—easy to admire, especially since it's so rich in audacity and originality, but almost impossible to love, lacking as it is in a certain humanity".<ref name="Felperin-2020">{{Cite news |last=Felperin |first=Leslie |date=21 August 2020 |title=''Tenet'': Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tenet-film-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822003115/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tenet-film-review |archive-date=22 August 2020 |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> At the [[93rd Academy Awards]], the film won Best Visual Effects and was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hipes |first=Patrick |date=15 March 2021 |title=Oscar Nominations: The Complete List |url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/2021-oscars-nominations-full-list-of-nominees-1234714432/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315130637/https://deadline.com/2021/03/2021-oscars-nominations-full-list-of-nominees-1234714432/ |archive-date=15 March 2021 |access-date=15 March 2021 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> Following the release of ''Tenet'', Nolan joined the Advisory Board of the [[Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |date=10 November 2020 |title=Christopher Nolan, Rob Legato Join SMPTE Engineers Advisory Board |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/christopher-nolan-rob-legato-join-smpte-engineers-advisory-board |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111023619/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/christopher-nolan-rob-legato-join-smpte-engineers-advisory-board |archive-date=11 November 2020 |access-date=10 November 2020 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> He served as an executive producer on ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]'' (2021), a [[director's cut]] of 2017's ''Justice League''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guerrasio |first=Jason |date=10 March 2021 |title=Deborah Snyder says Christopher Nolan supported her husband Zack in his quest to make the 'Snyder cut' |url=https://www.insider.com/christopher-nola-encouraged-zack-snyder-justice-league-snyder-cut-2021-3 |access-date=15 March 2021 |publisher=[[Insider Inc.]] |archive-date=29 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829223812/https://www.insider.com/christopher-nola-encouraged-zack-snyder-justice-league-snyder-cut-2021-3 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:ChrisNolanBFI150224 (10 of 12) (53532289710) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Nolan at [[BFI Southbank]] in 2024]]

Nolan's 12th film was ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023), a biopic based on [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] (played by [[Cillian Murphy]]) and his role in the development of the [[atom bomb]].{{sfn|Nathan|2022|p=216}} It was Nolan's first [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|R-rated]] film since ''Insomnia'' (2002).<ref>{{cite web|author=Lupton, Drake|date=2 June 2023|url=https://collider.com/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-release-date-cast-filming/|title=''Oppenheimer'': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's New Movie|publisher=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=16 June 2023|archive-date=15 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615212205/https://collider.com/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-release-date-cast-filming/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was financed and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]], making it Nolan's first feature film since ''Memento'' that was not made for Warner Bros. He disagreed with Warner Bros.' decision to simultaneously release their films in theatres and on [[HBO Max]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Starkey |first1=Adam |title=Here's what we know about Christopher Nolan's ''Oppenheimer'' |url=https://www.nme.com/features/film-features/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-new-film-release-date-plot-cast-explained-3282604 |access-date=23 December 2022 |work=[[NME]] |date=19 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805101035/https://www.nme.com/features/film-features/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-new-film-release-date-plot-cast-explained-3282604 |archive-date=5 August 2022}}</ref> Nolan secured the deal with Universal after he was promised a production budget of around $100&nbsp;million with an equal marketing budget, total creative control, 20 per cent of [[first-dollar gross]], a 100-day theatrical window and a blackout period from the studio wherein the company would not release another film three weeks before or after ''Oppenheimer''{{'s}} release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kit|first=Borys|date=15 September 2021 |title=Inside the Studios' (and Apple's) Frenzy to Get Christopher Nolan's Next Film |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/christopher-nolan-pitch-to-studios-including-apple-seeking-his-next-film-1235014132/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915154038/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/christopher-nolan-pitch-to-studios-including-apple-seeking-his-next-film-1235014132/ |archive-date=15 September 2021 |access-date=16 September 2021 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> The film received critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Oppenheimer'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oppenheimer_2023 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=20 July 2023 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719190500/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oppenheimer_2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> Matthew Jackson of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote, "''Oppenheimer'' deserves the title of masterpiece. It's Christopher Nolan's best film so far, a step up to a new level for one of our finest filmmakers, and a movie that burns itself into your brain."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Matthew |title=''Oppenheimer'' review: Christopher Nolan delivers his masterpiece |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-christopher-nolans-oppenheimer-1850654105 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=19 July 2023 |access-date=20 July 2023 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720064141/https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-christopher-nolans-oppenheimer-1850654105 |url-status=live }}</ref> Terming it "boldly imaginative and [Nolan's] most mature work yet", [[BBC Culture]]'s [[Caryn James]] added that it combined the "explosive, commercially-enticing action of ''The Dark Knight'' trilogy" with the "cerebral underpinnings" of ''Memento'', ''Inception'' and ''Tenet''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=James |first=Caryn |author-link=Caryn James|date=19 July 2023 |title=Oppenheimer review: A "magnificent" story of a tragic American genius |publisher=[[BBC Culture]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230719-a-magnificent-story-of-a-tragic-american-genius |url-status=live |access-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719222320/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230719-a-magnificent-story-of-a-tragic-american-genius |archive-date=19 July 2023}}</ref> ''Oppenheimer'' grossed over $975{{nbsp}}million worldwide, making it the [[2023 in film#Highest-grossing films|third-highest-grossing film of 2023]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Top 2023 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-2023 |newspaper=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=26 August 2023 |archive-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105203535/https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the film's [[List of accolades received by Oppenheimer (film)|numerous accolades]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gonzalez |first=Shivani |date=7 January 2024 |title=Golden Globes Winners 2024: The Complete List |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/movies/golden-globes-winners-list.html |access-date=8 January 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=8 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108000129/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/movies/golden-globes-winners-list.html/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Yossman |first1=K. J. |last2=Shafer |first2=Ellise |title=BAFTA Film Awards 2024 Winners List (Updating Live) |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/bafta-film-awards-2024-winners-list-1235913491/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=18 February 2024 |archive-date=18 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218173615/https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/bafta-film-awards-2024-winners-list-1235913491/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Nolan won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |date=10 March 2024 |title=Oscars 2024 Highlights: 'Oppenheimer' Wins Best Picture, and Emma Stone Wins Best Actress for 'Poor Things' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/10/movies/oscars-academy-awards |access-date=10 March 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310213033/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/10/movies/oscars-academy-awards |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of February 2025, Nolan will once again work with Universal Studios on ''[[The Odyssey (2026 film)|The Odyssey]]'', an adaptation of the [[Ancient Greek]] [[epic poem]] the ''[[Odyssey]]'' by [[Homer]]. It is scheduled to be released in July 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=23 December 2024 |title=Christopher Nolan's Next Film Is An Adaptation Of Homer's 'The Odyssey', Universal Reveals |url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-confirmed-directors-new-film-universal-1236241340/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241223222535/https://deadline.com/2024/12/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-confirmed-directors-new-film-universal-1236241340/ |archive-date=23 December 2024 |access-date=23 December 2024 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> It follows [[Odysseus]] (portrayed by [[Matt Damon]]), the legendary [[Greeks|Greek]] king of [[Homer's Ithaca|Ithaca]], on his perilous journey to return home following the [[Trojan War]], his encounters with the cyclops [[Polyphemus]], [[the Sirens]], and the witch goddess [[Circe]], and his reunion with his wife, [[Penelope]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |date=17 February 2025 |title=Matt Damon Is Odysseus in First Look at Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/matt-damon-odysseus-christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-image/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217162736/https://www.thewrap.com/matt-damon-odysseus-christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-image/ |archive-date=17 February 2025 |access-date=17 February 2025 |website=[[TheWrap]]}}</ref> With an estimated production budget of $250&nbsp;million, it is poised to be the most expensive film of Nolan's career.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Belloni |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Belloni |date=10 January 2025 |title=25 Surefire, 100 Percent Probable Hollywood Predictions for 2025 (Part 2) |url=https://puck.news/25-surefire-100-percent-probable-2025-hollywood-predictions-part-2/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250110175419/https://puck.news/25-surefire-100-percent-probable-2025-hollywood-predictions-part-2/ |archive-date=10 January 2025 |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=[[Puck News]]}} – via {{Cite web |last=Booth |first=Kaitlyn |date=11 January 2025 |title=Christopher Nolan's ''The Odyssey'' Has A Reported $250M Budget |url=https://bleedingcool.com/movies/christopher-nolans-the-odyssey-has-a-reported-250m-budget/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112041119/https://bleedingcool.com/movies/christopher-nolans-the-odyssey-has-a-reported-250m-budget/ |archive-date=12 January 2025 |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=[[Bleeding Cool]]}}</ref> The film will be the first mainstream blockbuster to be shot entirely on IMAX film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roxborough |first=Scott |date=2025-05-15 |title=Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ Will Be the First Blockbuster Shot Entirely on Imax Film Cameras |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nolan-odyssey-first-blockbuster-to-only-use-imax-cameras-1236217925/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>