- Christopher Nolan hinted at making a horror film after The Odyssey's release
- The Odyssey includes dark moments but is not Nolan's full horror exploration
- Nolan believes horror must be driven by a strong conceptual story idea
Christopher Nolan has sparked fresh excitement among his fans, hinting at a horror film being on the cards. The Academy Award winner, whose latest release The Odyssey is making waves at the box office, and working on the film has only made him more interested in exploring horror.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the director was asked if audiences could finally stop asking him to make a horror film, considering The Odyssey includes several dark and unsettling moments. Responding with a laugh, he said, “I was going to say that. They don't need to beg me to tell a horror story anymore. Just buy a ticket.”
While The Odyssey may have touched on horror, Nolan made it clear that it had not ended his interest in the genre. In fact, the experience pushed him closer to it.
“It very much whets my appetite for more. But I've always believed that horror as a genre has to be approached very carefully from a conceptual point of view. In other words, you have to have an amazing idea.”
For Christopher Nolan, a horror film is not about technical tricks or visual effects. He feels the story always comes first. Explaining what inspires him, he referred to Brian De Palma's Obsession.
“When you go see a film like Obsession, that's an amazing idea. That movie works like a mo********er. It's not about the technical side. It's not about what technical itches I would have to scratch. It's about a story. So I'm always looking.”
Apart from its action and mythical world, The Odyssey also explores the idea of Zeus' law, often linked to the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want to be treated.
Sharing his thoughts, the director said, “The fact that we have mutual respect is what, to some extent, defines civilization. I don't think that's something that can be entirely imposed by, for example, a religious framework. I think it has to be innate in us for that to be as prevalent and as effective as it has been over thousands of years.”
Based on Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who faces a dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. The film also features Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, and Travis Scott.