Christopher Nolan has spoken to Netflix, but there’s a condition that prevents him from working with them at the moment

The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a severe blow to movie theaters around the world, while helping to establish broadcast platforms as a widespread entertainment option. Christopher Nolan went to great lengths to ensure that his latest movie, Tenet, had some audiences back in theaters last summer.; He is reported to have held talks with Warner Bros. The movie was strictly prohibited from skipping the world premiere on the big screen.

This condition appears to be very important to the director of The Dark Knight, and it’s precisely what prevents him from working with Netflix. According to the platform’s chief of original films, Scott Stooper, Nolan has had conversations with them but they haven’t gotten anywhere yet because the director wants to see his movies in cinemas around the world..

“I think there are aspects of global distribution in cinemas that are still very attractive.”In an interview with The Wall Street Journal (via IndyWire). “Chris Nolan and I have talked a little … and it’s still something that he desperately wants. If we are not able to show it to him, then there is still a problem for him. “.

He was actually seen in the case of “Tenet,” which was a challenge to Warner Bros. In the midst of an epidemic. Far from being a profitable route to blockbuster movies, the studio launched with an international distribution strategy rarely seen before in a title of these characteristics: it gradually reached several countries before its release in the US, despite fear of spoilers and piracy.

Netflix and theaters

The truth is, in recent years, Netflix has responded little to theaters’ demands to release some of their movies on the big screen, but only for awards. Academy Awards and other awards require films submitted to competition to have at least one “tech” release in theaters. (Even if they must have gone through the bare minimum of theaters), so the streaming platform is taking tapes like “Mank” and other prestigious productions to theaters first. But not everyone: For example, in the United States, the AMC movie chain is refusing to screen Netflix movies because they know it will not take more than two or three weeks to broadcast.

And there’s still a lot of distance between Netflix and Cannes: The platform no longer participates in the French Film Festival because France maintains a strict window policy prohibiting films shown in cinemas from broadcasting for three years.. For this reason, he no longer presents his films to the French competition.

All this keeps Netflix an unworkable option for Christopher Nolan. It wasn’t like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, or Alfonso Cuarón, the very demanding directors who responded to Netflix’s allure.