5 Movies Christopher Nolan Should Make After The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been a massive success, and it has set the bar high for his next movie. While there’s nothing official about what Christopher Nolan’s next movie will be, there are some ideas that would be perfect for his next project. Christopher Nolan is one of the most respected filmmakers of his generation, and while there are elements and themes that define his work, such as those of time, memory, and identity, and the use of practical effects, he has explored different genres.

The latest addition to his filmography is The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem Odyssey. As such, The Odyssey is Nolan’s first epic action fantasy movie, and in its first week of release, it became a critical and box office success. The Odyssey comes right after Oppenheimer, by then Nolan’s biggest project, surpassing it in terms of production, cast, and more. At the time of writing, The Odyssey is expected to be an even bigger box office hit and break more records for Nolan.

The Odyssey definitely deserves all the praise it has received, but just like Oppenheimer did, it has raised the bar for Nolan even more. Now, with The Odyssey having just been released, Nolan hasn’t shared his plans for his next movie, just teasing that it will be at least three years before his next project arrives. Still, there are some interesting ideas to take into account – from adaptations to new genres and revisiting some of the genres he has succeeded at before.

Another Space Movie

Christopher Nolan’s movies have a bit of everything: there are superhero movies with his Dark Knight trilogy, a biographical drama with Oppenheimer, a thriller with a unique narrative with Memento, and a space movie with Interstellar. The latter ranks high among Nolan’s best movies, thanks to its story, themes, performances, twists, and visuals, and it’s considered one of the most scientifically accurate space movies ever made – and that’s more than enough track record to make another one.

Interstellar has all the elements of a Nolan movie, but if he chooses to revisit the genre of space movies, he could go for something different. Nolan could now make a psychological thriller set in space, which would bring together some of the genres he has excelled at, with the philosophical themes that have characterized his work. Another possibility is another hard sci-fi space movie, covering other themes not used in Interstellar.

An interesting one would be the multiverse theory, more so now that other sci-fi and fantasy movies (most notably superhero franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe) have explored it. Nolan could do so in a more realistic way, without forgetting about themes like identity and memory.

A Western Movie

A genre that Nolan surprisingly hasn’t explored yet is Western, but it has been a huge influence in his career. Western in film is defined by being set in the American West, embodying the struggles and lifestyle of the time, and being set between 1849 and 1890. Westerns are characterized by the archetypes of cowboys and outlaws, and by addressing themes like morality, honor, justice, and redemption.

As mentioned above, the works of Nolan have a heavy Western influence, either visually or narratively. For example, for The Dark Knight, Nolan took inspiration from the 1953 Western Shane, especially in how it portrayed evil (via The Hollywood Reporter). The framing and camerawork in Oppenheimer is reminiscent of that in Westerns, especially in the scenes set in New Mexico, while Interstellar used the trope of the frontier in its own way.

It might be time, then, for Nolan to go full-on Western in his next movie. Of course, a Western movie by Nolan wouldn’t be a typical one, and he would find clever ways to subvert the genre while staying true to the genre’s essence. The timing would also be perfect, as the genre is going through a resurgence, mostly on TV, but it might not be long until it does the same on the big screen.

A Cyberpunk Movie

Another genre Nolan hasn’t gone into, but some argue that one of his best movies came close to it, is cyberpunk. As a subgenre of sci-fi, cyberpunk is characterized by being set in a dystopian future, with high-tech like artificial intelligence, and characters who struggle to make ends meet daily. This leads to societal collapse and decay, so there’s a heavy layer of drama in cyberpunk, as well. This genre might not seem fitting with Nolan’s previous work, but it definitely fits his style.

For many, Inception is the Nolan movie that is the closest to cyberpunk, thanks to its heist elements, multi-layered dreams that blur the lines between the real world and dreams, and the technology involved in infiltrating another person’s dreams. Still, despite the sci-fi elements in Inception, Nolan made it feel grounded and like something that could happen in the future. In a cyberpunk movie, however, Nolan could let his imagination loose without worrying about scientific accuracy.

Nolan could bring philosophical depth to a cyberpunk movie, stunning visuals, mind-blowing practical effects, and a complex story with unexpected twists. On top of that, Nolan knows very well how to bring to life a heist and espionage story, so that wouldn’t be an issue when translating that into a cyberpunk scenario and aesthetic.

An Adaptation Of The Prisoner

The Prisoner is a British TV series created by Patrick McGoohan, who also stars in it. McGoohan played Number Six, a British intelligence agent who, after resigning and preparing to go on a trip, is knocked out and abducted. Number Six wakes up in a recreation of his home in a mysterious coastal settlement referred to as “The Village.” Number Six is under surveillance and pressured to reveal why he quit, while he tries to find a way to escape and uncover the truths about the Village.

The Prisoner is just one season long, with 17 episodes, and it has become a cult classic. Now, a film adaptation of The Prisoner was in development in 2001, first with Simon West on board to direct, and eight years later, Nolan was said to be attached to direct. However, Nolan dropped out, and he moved on to other projects. A film adaptation was in development again in 2016 with Ridley Scott in talks to direct, and Nolan was said to be involved in it again in 2024.

At the time of writing, The Prisoner isn’t in Nolan’s plans (or, at least, it isn’t confirmed to be), but it’s easy to see why he would be perfect for it. The Prisoner has the suspense, drama, sci-fi elements, and twists that would make it a great Nolan movie, but he must find the right way to adapt the TV show to the big screen.

A Horror Movie

A genre that Nolan still hasn’t fully gone into and that many are eagerly waiting for him to do so is horror. Despite not having made a horror movie yet, Nolan is no stranger to horror elements in his movies. Batman Begins has those nightmarish hallucinations caused by Scarecrow; Inception has psychological drama; The Prestige played with body horror elements; Oppenheimer explored a different type of horror through the protagonist’s work and his trauma; and The Odyssey had some horror moments with Polyphemus and Circe.

Horror has many subgenres to choose from, but I feel Nolan would excel at psychological horror. Nolan’s recurrent themes would suit psychological horror best, and his exceptional use of audiovisual design would further elevate the experience and make it an immersive one. The horror genre is currently going through a great run, with movies like Sinners, Weapons, and Obsession, so it would be the perfect time for Christopher Nolan to finally go full-on horror in his next movie.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.

Birthdate

July 30, 1970

Birthplace

Westminster, London, England, UK