Christopher Nolan told Ryan Coogler filming 'Sinners' on IMAX "wasn't crazy"
Los Angeles, June 28
Christopher Nolan has revealed that he encouraged filmmaker Ryan Coogler to shoot his 2025 film Sinners using IMAX cameras after Coogler sought his opinion before making the decision.
In an interview with The New York Times, Nolan said Coogler had called him while preparing for the film and wanted to know if using IMAX for a vampire movie was the right choice. Nolan said he was fully supportive of the idea.
"Ryan called me before he committed to Imax," Nolan said. "I think Dunkirk was the first time I dragged him to a screening of an original-made film print of Imax. I love to show filmmakers the potential of the format. So he called me when he was prepping, but really I think he was sort of looking for someone to tell him it wasn't crazy to shoot his vampire film that way. I was like, no, I'd love to see that,"
Coogler's Sinners went on to become a critical success, with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw winning the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work on the film.
Nolan has long been one of IMAX's biggest supporters and has used the format in several of his films, including The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet and Oppenheimer.
His upcoming film, The Odyssey, has also made history by becoming the first movie to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
Talking about the experience, Nolan said he hopes more filmmakers will use the format in the future.
"One of the great satisfactions of my career has been being part of an evolutionary process of a [filmmaking] system," said Nolan of The Odyssey, premiering July 17. "My excitement for having finished the film entirely in Imax is: what other filmmakers might want to do that. I just want to go see somebody else's film when they do it this way."
'The Odyssey' is based on the ancient Greek epic and follows Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, as he faces a series of challenges and mythical encounters on his long journey home after the Trojan War. The film also features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez and Mia Goth.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how Nolan mentors other directors. I remember when he helped Christopher McQuarrie with Mission Impossible using IMAX. But ₹1000+ for a ticket in Indian metros? Forget about it. We'll just watch it on our phones like usual. 🤣
Nolan is a true artist. Always pushing boundaries. But I'm more excited about The Odyssey - finally a proper epic on IMAX. Though I'm curious how Himesh Patel and other Indian-origin actors will be used in it. Representation matters!
I love that Nolan is so passionate about IMAX technology, but I wish he'd also encourage more diversity in storytelling. Ho gaya yaar, same old Hollywood epics. We have such rich myths in India waiting to be told on IMAX - Mahabharata, anyone? Imagine Krishna's Vishwaroopam in that format! 🌟🙏
Classic Nolan - always looking forward, always mentoring. But honestly? IMAX is great but it's also becoming a crutch for visual spectacle without substance. Hope 'Sinners' and 'The Odyssey' deliver on both fronts. The budget for these films could fund 50 Indian indie films!
Good to see filmmakers supporting each other. In India, we're still struggling with basic projection quality in multiplexes. First fix that, then talk about IMAX. Last week I went to PVR and the screen had a scratch - unbelievable! 🙄
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.