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Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has been fascinated by filmmaking since childhood.

He has proved to be one of the most exciting, innovative and successful filmmakers in the world with Hollywood blockbusters such as DunkirkInsomniaInterstellar, the Batman trilogy, Tenet, and, of course, the multiple award-winning Oppenheimer. Known for his complex storytelling, his films have taken over $6bn at the box office worldwide.

An innovative and creative filmmaker

Christopher Nolan was born in London in 1970. A prodigious filmmaking talent from an early age, he has built a career on atmospheric films and is credited with breathing new life into the genre of intelligent action and war films, most particularly the Batman trilogy and Dunkirk.

Early years and education

He began making films in his childhood, using his father’s Super 8 camera. Arriving at Haileybury in 1984, he went on to study English literature at University College London, where he began making 16mm films in the College Film Society (of which he became president).

Early career

Nolan has built his career with atmospheric films which draw upon the film noir canon. His first major film, Momento (2000), is now something of a cult classic among film fans; this, together with The Prestige (2006) received multiple Academy Award nominations. His work on Insomnia (2002) starring Al Pacino was particularly well-received.

From success to success

Of course, it was with his work on the Batman films, adding a new darkness to the Gotham City guardian, which brought his work into a much broader view.

Batman Begins (2005) was launched to enormous critical success while The Dark Knight (2008) was seen by many as the finest superhero film ever made, winning two Oscars.

Building on this success, the third in the series,The Dark Knight Rises (2012), grossed over $1bn at the box office.

War epic Dunkirk – starring Tom Hardy, Harry Styles and Kenneth Brannagh – was released in July 2017. It follows the story of the evacuation of  Allied soldiers from Dunkirk during World War Two.

Chris’ other output has included the sci-fi epic Interstellar (2014) (grossing $640m and receiving an Oscar for best visual effects) and he continues to be in demand for his unique approach.

Oppenheimer

The multiple award-winning biopic based on the life of nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer starred Cillian Murphy and was received to worldwide critical acclaim. Oppenheimer has taken over $960 million and earned Christopher Nolan the Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards.