Summary
While many directors have become known for their prowess in one particular film genre, this is not a trap that Christopher Nolan has fallen into. Nolan’s next movie,The Odyssey, is further proof that the director is a jack of all trades.
Nolanhas become a revered director throughout his more than 20-year-long career. The director recently gained his first Academy Award win forBest Director in 2024 forOppenheimer, with the film also going on to win Best Picture at the ceremony. It was Nolan’s foray into a serious biopic that led him to his first Oscar win, but rather than doing more of the same thing, the director is switching it up with his next film and continuing to expand his genre expertise.
Christopher Nolan Already Has a Vast Filmography
Looking at Nolan’sfilmographyit’s clear the director has never been one to stick to a single genre. The director began with crime thrillers likeFollowing, Insomnia,andMemento, which established him as a director with a unique take who wasn’t afraid to take unconventional paths. Nolan then became roped into the comic book world withBatman Beginsin 2005, which spurred a trilogy that includedThe Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Rises. Despite it being the superhero realm, Nolan left his mark on the genre, grounding his Batman in as much of the real world as possible.
In betweenBatmanfilms, Nolan experimented with high-concept thrillers likeThe PrestigeandInception,before going full sci-fi inInterstellar. The director then expanded his expertise by tackling a war film,Dunkirk, which was focused on re-telling a historical event but through the unique lens of three distinct timelines.Tenetwas another high-concept sci-fi original by Nolan that showed the director’s take on time travel, and added elements of the heist genre.
Most recently, the director releasedOppenheimer, which was an epic biopic about the inventor of the atomic bomb. Nolan brought his unique spin to the biopic genre by splitting J. Robert Oppenheimer’s story across two interweaving timelines thatshifted between color and grayscale. Throughout his career, Nolan’s films have become known for their unique concepts, practical blockbuster action, and thought-provoking stories. They’ve also established the director’s style which involves him bringing an unconventional twist on traditional genres.
The Odyssey Is New Territory
Nolan has covered a vast variety of genres throughout his film career and his next movie is continuing that trend. Nolan will next tackleThe Odyssey,which is based on the ancient and pivotal epic Greek poem by Homer.The Odysseyfollows the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, as he embarks on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War and faces a series of fantastical obstacles on the way. The cast for Nolan’snew film is already stackedwith Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and many more A-listers.
A historical and fantasy epic is a mix of genres Nolan has yet to tackle in his career.The Odysseyis often considered a vital workof literature and is the source on which stories have based their structures for centuries. It will be interesting to see what Nolan does with such a key story in creative history. Based on the director’s past works, it’s likely he will bring a sense of grand scope and scale, with plenty of action and some kind of twist.
How Will Christopher Nolan Handle The Odyssey’s Fantasy Elements?
Nolan has no prior fantasy films, so it’s unclear how he may choose to handle the moresupernatural elements ofThe Odysseyor whether he will find a new spin on them.The Odysseyfeatures mythological creatures like sirens and cyclops, not to mention the Greek gods, so how Nolan will depict these characters in his version of the story is of much intrigue. There have been few CGI creations throughout Nolan’s works, so it’s possible he will bring a grounded take on the fantasy genre and attempt to create many of these elements practically.
Whatever path Nolan ends up choosing forThe Odyssey,his filmography indicates that it will be a unique take on the fantasy genre and will hopefully be something audiences haven’t experienced before.
