It was not a negotiation. Rather, it was a unique opportunity in generation to establish a relationship with one of the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century.
Last week, studio heads such as Donna Langley of Universal, Tom Rothman of Sony and Jim Gianopulos of Paramount made the trek to Christopher Nolan’s premises in the Hollywood Hills.
There, in the same place, Nolan has a complete post-production installation and does his editing, the executives read the screenwriter of the filmmaker of his latest project, focused on one of the fathers of the atom bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and then they discussed the conditions.
On September 14, Nolan had made his decision and Universal is now in the enviable position of distributing the next film of the man behind the multimillion-dollar collection. Dark knight trilogy and amazing movies included Memento, Inception i Principles.
The process, conducted in secret at the highest executive levels, offered a glimpse into the current stage – and some might say twilight – of the studio relationships with film talent and theatrical screening, as Hollywood film companies continue dealing with the disorder in various ways.
Nolan has spent most of his time in film production since 2002 working with Warner Bros., which at one point built a reputation for being “the filmmaker’s studio.” But times and the rise of branded intellectual property have changed that (it could be argued that Nolan, with his Batman movies, helped drive it), and his relationships with Warners, a once ferries, they sank last year with the launch of Principles. Nolan, who enjoyed mutual approval over the release dates, and the studio quarreled when the film premiered, seeing it push three times before finally opening in September to mediocre box office and average reviews, both first for the man, while other studies boosted his tentpoles the following year. The filmmaker went dark when the studio put its 2021 list on a day-and-date launch strategy with HBO Max, which called it the “worst broadcast service.”
Warners was in the first mix of conversations about the Oppenheimer film, but it’s unclear if its executives came to the Nolan estate. If not, it was closing and closing the door on a relationship of almost two decades. Warners made no comment.
But when a door closes, a new window opens (pun). To the surprise of several experts, the executive class of a company invited to make the trip was that of Apple Studios, the tech giant that is making a tremendous boost in movies and series. The company has spared no expense in attracting the best talent and is making films with Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Scarlett Johansson, among others. This was their chance to venture into one of the greatest advocates of theatrical experience, and they took it.
The project should be a smaller-scale feature film for Nolan, which in its case would involve a production budget of about $ 100 million and an equal marketing expense, according to sources. He called for full creative control, 20 percent of the first gross dollar, and a studio shutdown period in which the company would not release any other films three weeks before or three weeks after their release. And he asked what the experts say was around a 100-day theatrical window. (Some sources have said the number was 110 days, and one person said it was 130 days). In fact, these were many of the conditions Nolan was used to enjoying at Warners.
Paramount came out of the mix soon. The surprising upheaval of the executive that took place late last week caused Gianopulos, also a boost to the theatrical experience, to leave the venerable studio to be replaced by Brian Robbins, who rewarded him in sight, and made him a candidate.
Apple was willing to bet on a theatrical window, but nothing close to what the filmmaker wanted.
Sony desperately wanted it and could point to the immense success, both commercial and critical, that it enjoyed supporting Quentin Tarantino’s ode to cinema, Once upon a time in Hollywood. The studio was a rival to the end.
Then there was Universal, whose boss Langley spent years cultivating a friendship with Nolan and who had already captured several brands and talent from Warners, such as the Rideback label from Lego and Dan Lin. The studio could feature robust theatrical production, even in the pandemic, and some innovative launch strategies. Its infrastructure, both in distribution and marketing, is strong at the moment and, just as importantly, unlike some other companies like MGM which is about to be engulfed by Amazon, it is also stable.
“Universal just said, ‘Yes,’ said a privileged person.
Universal, Sony and Apple did not comment.
There are still things that need to be resolved and many questions remain. Really, the studio will give Nolan a six-week shutdown if, for example, he wants to schedule one Despicable Em film, the opposite definition of a historical drama, the same month as an image of Oppenheimer? And what is it like, even the theatrical panorama of a film that would not be released until 2023 or 2024? Could there be a new paradigm?
Hollywood studios are operating offline right now as they try to navigate a suppressed box office thanks to the pandemic, the dominance of established brands and libraries, and the edicts of creating broadcast services. Talent is often secondary, but it is still essential to draw eyeballs at any screen size. While some studios are dedicated to brands (Disney), and some are at the crossroads, Universal is committed to the wide game, stacking various animations of DreamWorks, Illumination and Fast and furious titles with singular talents, such as M. Night Shyamalan, Jordan Peele, and now Nolan.
Lesley Goldberg contributed to this report.