{"id":1875503,"date":"2026-04-10T09:34:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1875503"},"modified":"2026-04-10T09:34:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:34:04","slug":"interstellar-was-a-much-better-movie-in-chris-nolans-hands-than-it-would-have-been-in-mine-steven-spielberg-opens-up-on-sci-fi-classic-he-walked-away-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1875503","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Interstellar Was a Much Better Movie in Chris Nolan&#8217;s Hands Than It Would Have Been in Mine&#8217; \u2014 Steven Spielberg Opens Up on Sci-Fi Classic He Walked Away From"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Steven Spielberg has discussed his time working on <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/interstellar\">Interstellar<\/a>, which he ended up walking away from before Christopher Nolan took over.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Interstellar, which came out in 2014, stars Matthew McConaughey as a pilot who travels through space in a desperate attempt to find a new home for humanity amid catastrophic blight on Earth. It was praised for its visuals and realistic representations of the effects of gravity and space travel, as well as its soundtrack. However, some criticized the movie for its ending, which leant on sentimentality.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Spielberg, currently doing the rounds promoting his upcoming sci-film <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/disclosure-day\">Disclosure Day<\/a>, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.empireonline.com\/movies\/news\/empire-magazine-buy-subscribe-today\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empire<\/a> (via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/entertainment\/sci-fi-movies\/steven-spielberg-developed-interstellar-for-a-year-but-says-the-sci-fi-classic-was-a-much-better-movie-in-christopher-nolans-hands\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GamesRadar<\/a>), that he worked on Interstellar for a year, but despite Christopher Nolan\u2019s brother, Jonathan, writing multiple drafts of the script, \u201cit didn\u2019t stick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Ranking the Movies of Christopher Nolan<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"From his first film Following to his newest release Tenet, we rank the movies of Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan!\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"12. Following&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: AMC+, or rentable on many platforms&lt;br&gt;\nFor a movie shot on weekends and without a steady supply of quality film stock, Nolan's first feature is an effective character study hiding out in the trappings of a whodunit. Following tracks a young writer who stalks people on the streets of London for inspiration. When he is found out by a thief who takes him under his wing, the writer ends up on a path that doesn't bode well by the time the film ends.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFollowing establishes Nolan's fascination with the themes of identity and crime as a tool of manipulation; and yes, we even see the director flirt with a mostly successful attempt at the twist ending.\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 13 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"11. The Dark Knight Rises&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: Rentable on most platforms&lt;br&gt;\nTom Hardy debuted as Bane and Anne Hathaway donned the Catwoman suit for this ridiculously anticipated finale to Christopher Nolan\u2019s massively popular Dark Knight Trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises shot for the stars, with a larger scope than any Batman movie before it. While reactions were mixed to some of the choices in the movie, on a psychological level, The Dark Knight Rises shows the resolve of the Bruce Wayne character on screen like never before. We get to see him do what his father had always told him he could \u2013 learn to pick himself up \u2013 and save the city he loves. \n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"10. Tenet&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: HBO, HBO Max, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nTenet -- which was first delayed by the pandemic and then released to theaters before the world was ready to head back outside -- never quite got the presentation it needed (or that Nolan himself desired). On top of that, despite being a technical marvel, it was one of the director's emotionally coldest efforts to date. That being said, this sci-fi spy thriller -- starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki -- is an exciting globe-trotting treat for the senses, telling the story of a secret team trying to stop an attack on Earth's present...from Earth's future. You might not fully understand how reverse entropy works, or how it's able to interact with regular entropy, but it's a beautifully bats*** thing to watch unfold on screen.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"9. Insomnia&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: HBO Max, Cinemax Go, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nBased on a Norwegian thriller of the same name, Insomnia is firmly within noir territory -- a troubled detective unravelling the murder of a young girl \u2013-- but it purposefully inverts many of the inherited stylistic conventions. Since the action unfolds in a small fishing town in Alaska, where the sun never sets, Nolan's 'sunshine' noir eschews shadows for blinding light.\nThe beauty of Insomnia, which stars Al Pacino, is that it never cheats or dumbs down its story, and it always keeps us on Pacino's level, as his character tries to both do a good cop's job and cover up his own misconduct and while fighting off the worst case of insomnia ever. Robin Williams delivers an unnerving performance as the murderer Pacino's gunning for, and Hilary Swank adds more than what's on the page with her turn as the local cop.\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"8. Interstellar&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: Paramount+, FX Now, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nMcConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain star in Nolan's space epic, Interstellar -- an imperfect film, sure, but like its central characters it aims about as high as one can. The ambition, execution, and craftsmanship are all to be admired. Interstellar is a slightly divisive film though ultimately the viewers takeaway will likely come down to their emotional response.\u00a0\nThis story, about a last ditch effort to save humanity by using a wormhole to search for a new home planet, boasts superb world creation as well as some heady notions about time, which are mostly based on scientific theory, and to date it stands and one Nolan's most heartfelt projects (for a director who admits that love and warmth aren't his strong suits).\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As Spielberg recalled, Jonathan Nolan recommended Christopher Nolan take on Interstellar, should he walk away from it. And so it proved. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I was involved with Interstellar for a year,&#8221; Spielberg said. \u201cKip Thorne brought me the project with Lynda Obst, the producer, and I became fascinated with it. I spent a lot of time at the [Jet Propulsion Laboratory] in Pasadena, California, talking to the scientists there and the aerospace engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I actually hired Chris Nolan&#8217;s brother Jonah to write the first and second draft for me, but it didn&#8217;t stick,\u201d Spielberg continued. \u201cJonah actually said, &#8216;If there comes a point where you decide not to make this movie, I can tell you who&#8217;s gonna grab it. He&#8217;s already bugging me about it. And that&#8217;s my brother Chris.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/2026\/04\/10\/gettyimages-2266893928-1775813413935.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"null\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/a><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Steven Spielberg worked on Interstellar for a year before Christopher Nolan took over. Photo by Lionel Hahn\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Spielberg sounded happy with how Interstellar went down, and how the film ended up. &#8220;He was absolutely right,\u201d he said of Jonathan\u2019s recommendation. \u201cThe second I decided not to make it, Chris jumped on board, probably the next day. Interstellar was a much better movie in Chris Nolan&#8217;s hands than it would have been in mine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Nolan has spoken openly about the making of Interstellar in the past, and what he was shooting for in terms of tone. As reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/timmy-chalamet-interviews-christophoer-nolan-interstellar-1236658185\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Variety<\/a>, speaking at a screening of the film in Imax 70mm at the AMC Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles in February, Nolan said: \u201cI had a lot of conversations with Jonathan over the years and what he was doing and what his ambition was. I was excited by it. I was incredibly struck by his first act. I had been working on a time travel idea\u2026 things looking at time. I had half-baked projects that I hadn\u2019t committed to. When it became available, it was a case of me saying to Jonathan, \u2018How would you feel if I took this and tried to combine it with some of my ideas and change a bit with what it was?\u2019 He was fine with it. He could tell the spirit of what I was trying to do was to get to what he was initially excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI had some producer anonymously say of me, \u2018He is a cold guy who makes cold films.\u2019 Then it sort of stuck on me for several projects,\u201d Nolan continued. \u201cThe reason I was attracted to my brother\u2019s first act is because it\u2019s about family and humanity, and it\u2019s deeply emotional. That\u2019s the film I wanted to make. It\u2019s a film that wears its heart on its sleeve.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In October, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/i-just-reacted-i-didnt-want-to-know-what-was-coming-matthew-mcconaughey-says-the-iconic-tape-scene-in-interstellar-is-the-first-take-and-he-did-it-without-rehearsing\">Matthew McConaughey revealed that Interstellar\u2019s iconic tape scene was not heavily rehearsed<\/a>, nor did he have to go through multiple takes to get the emotional reaction we see on-screen. McConaughey in fact nailed it on the first take, and he didn\u2019t rehearse the scene at all.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Disclosure Day, meanwhile, hits theaters June 12, 2026.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Photo by Frazer Harrison\/Getty Images.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Steven Spielberg has discussed his time working on <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/interstellar\">Interstellar<\/a>, which he ended up walking away from before Christopher Nolan took over.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Interstellar, which came out in 2014, stars Matthew McConaughey as a pilot who travels through space in a desperate attempt to find a new home for humanity amid catastrophic blight on Earth. It was praised for its visuals and realistic representations of the effects of gravity and space travel, as well as its soundtrack. However, some criticized the movie for its ending, which leant on sentimentality.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Spielberg, currently doing the rounds promoting his upcoming sci-film <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/disclosure-day\">Disclosure Day<\/a>, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.empireonline.com\/movies\/news\/empire-magazine-buy-subscribe-today\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empire<\/a> (via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/entertainment\/sci-fi-movies\/steven-spielberg-developed-interstellar-for-a-year-but-says-the-sci-fi-classic-was-a-much-better-movie-in-christopher-nolans-hands\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GamesRadar<\/a>), that he worked on Interstellar for a year, but despite Christopher Nolan\u2019s brother, Jonathan, writing multiple drafts of the script, \u201cit didn\u2019t stick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Ranking the Movies of Christopher Nolan<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"From his first film Following to his newest release Tenet, we rank the movies of Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan!\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"12. Following&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: AMC+, or rentable on many platforms&lt;br&gt;\nFor a movie shot on weekends and without a steady supply of quality film stock, Nolan's first feature is an effective character study hiding out in the trappings of a whodunit. Following tracks a young writer who stalks people on the streets of London for inspiration. When he is found out by a thief who takes him under his wing, the writer ends up on a path that doesn't bode well by the time the film ends.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFollowing establishes Nolan's fascination with the themes of identity and crime as a tool of manipulation; and yes, we even see the director flirt with a mostly successful attempt at the twist ending.\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 13 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"11. The Dark Knight Rises&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: Rentable on most platforms&lt;br&gt;\nTom Hardy debuted as Bane and Anne Hathaway donned the Catwoman suit for this ridiculously anticipated finale to Christopher Nolan\u2019s massively popular Dark Knight Trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises shot for the stars, with a larger scope than any Batman movie before it. While reactions were mixed to some of the choices in the movie, on a psychological level, The Dark Knight Rises shows the resolve of the Bruce Wayne character on screen like never before. We get to see him do what his father had always told him he could \u2013 learn to pick himself up \u2013 and save the city he loves. \n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"10. Tenet&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: HBO, HBO Max, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nTenet -- which was first delayed by the pandemic and then released to theaters before the world was ready to head back outside -- never quite got the presentation it needed (or that Nolan himself desired). On top of that, despite being a technical marvel, it was one of the director's emotionally coldest efforts to date. That being said, this sci-fi spy thriller -- starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki -- is an exciting globe-trotting treat for the senses, telling the story of a secret team trying to stop an attack on Earth's present...from Earth's future. You might not fully understand how reverse entropy works, or how it's able to interact with regular entropy, but it's a beautifully bats*** thing to watch unfold on screen.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"9. Insomnia&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: HBO Max, Cinemax Go, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nBased on a Norwegian thriller of the same name, Insomnia is firmly within noir territory -- a troubled detective unravelling the murder of a young girl \u2013-- but it purposefully inverts many of the inherited stylistic conventions. Since the action unfolds in a small fishing town in Alaska, where the sun never sets, Nolan's 'sunshine' noir eschews shadows for blinding light.\nThe beauty of Insomnia, which stars Al Pacino, is that it never cheats or dumbs down its story, and it always keeps us on Pacino's level, as his character tries to both do a good cop's job and cover up his own misconduct and while fighting off the worst case of insomnia ever. Robin Williams delivers an unnerving performance as the murderer Pacino's gunning for, and Hilary Swank adds more than what's on the page with her turn as the local cop.\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"8. Interstellar&lt;p&gt;\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Watch: Paramount+, FX Now, or rentable on most platforms.&lt;br&gt;\nMcConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain star in Nolan's space epic, Interstellar -- an imperfect film, sure, but like its central characters it aims about as high as one can. The ambition, execution, and craftsmanship are all to be admired. Interstellar is a slightly divisive film though ultimately the viewers takeaway will likely come down to their emotional response.\u00a0\nThis story, about a last ditch effort to save humanity by using a wormhole to search for a new home planet, boasts superb world creation as well as some heady notions about time, which are mostly based on scientific theory, and to date it stands and one Nolan's most heartfelt projects (for a director who admits that love and warmth aren't his strong suits).\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As Spielberg recalled, Jonathan Nolan recommended Christopher Nolan take on Interstellar, should he walk away from it. And so it proved. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I was involved with Interstellar for a year,&#8221; Spielberg said. \u201cKip Thorne brought me the project with Lynda Obst, the producer, and I became fascinated with it. I spent a lot of time at the [Jet Propulsion Laboratory] in Pasadena, California, talking to the scientists there and the aerospace engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I actually hired Chris Nolan&#8217;s brother Jonah to write the first and second draft for me, but it didn&#8217;t stick,\u201d Spielberg continued. \u201cJonah actually said, &#8216;If there comes a point where you decide not to make this movie, I can tell you who&#8217;s gonna grab it. He&#8217;s already bugging me about it. And that&#8217;s my brother Chris.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/2026\/04\/10\/gettyimages-2266893928-1775813413935.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"null\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/a><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Steven Spielberg worked on Interstellar for a year before Christopher Nolan took over. Photo by Lionel Hahn\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Spielberg sounded happy with how Interstellar went down, and how the film ended up. &#8220;He was absolutely right,\u201d he said of Jonathan\u2019s recommendation. \u201cThe second I decided not to make it, Chris jumped on board, probably the next day. Interstellar was a much better movie in Chris Nolan&#8217;s hands than it would have been in mine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Nolan has spoken openly about the making of Interstellar in the past, and what he was shooting for in terms of tone. As reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/timmy-chalamet-interviews-christophoer-nolan-interstellar-1236658185\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Variety<\/a>, speaking at a screening of the film in Imax 70mm at the AMC Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles in February, Nolan said: \u201cI had a lot of conversations with Jonathan over the years and what he was doing and what his ambition was. I was excited by it. I was incredibly struck by his first act. I had been working on a time travel idea\u2026 things looking at time. I had half-baked projects that I hadn\u2019t committed to. When it became available, it was a case of me saying to Jonathan, \u2018How would you feel if I took this and tried to combine it with some of my ideas and change a bit with what it was?\u2019 He was fine with it. He could tell the spirit of what I was trying to do was to get to what he was initially excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI had some producer anonymously say of me, \u2018He is a cold guy who makes cold films.\u2019 Then it sort of stuck on me for several projects,\u201d Nolan continued. \u201cThe reason I was attracted to my brother\u2019s first act is because it\u2019s about family and humanity, and it\u2019s deeply emotional. That\u2019s the film I wanted to make. It\u2019s a film that wears its heart on its sleeve.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In October, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/i-just-reacted-i-didnt-want-to-know-what-was-coming-matthew-mcconaughey-says-the-iconic-tape-scene-in-interstellar-is-the-first-take-and-he-did-it-without-rehearsing\">Matthew McConaughey revealed that Interstellar\u2019s iconic tape scene was not heavily rehearsed<\/a>, nor did he have to go through multiple takes to get the emotional reaction we see on-screen. McConaughey in fact nailed it on the first take, and he didn\u2019t rehearse the scene at all.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Disclosure Day, meanwhile, hits theaters June 12, 2026.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Photo by Frazer Harrison\/Getty Images.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steven Spielberg has discussed his time working on Interstellar, which he ended up walking away from before Christopher Nolan took over. Interstellar, which came out in 2014, stars Matthew McConaughey as a pilot who travels through space in a desperate attempt to find a new home for humanity amid catastrophic blight on Earth. It was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1875503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1875503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1875503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1875503\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1875503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1875503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1875503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}