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Previously Warner Bros. used to be Christopher Nolan’s go-to production company for his iconic films. However, afterTenet,Nolan had a fallout with the company leading him to releaseOppenheimerunder Universal Pictures and Atlas Entertainment. This caused the wholeBarbie(under Warner Bros.) vsOppenheimerfeud.
However, after months since the release of the film and its Oscar milestone, Warner Bros. had become desperate to earn back Christopher Nolan. But on a recent note, following Todd Phillips’Joker: Folie à Deuxand his gutsy step against Nolan—which eventually turned into a failure—seemingly made it worse for the production company. Not only didJoker 2cause a financial disaster for WB but also further messed up their possibility of winning back Nolan.
Warner Bros. Wishes to Get Christopher Nolan Back AfterOppenheimer’s Oscar Win
Christopher Nolanhad collaborated with Warner Bros. for over two decades until he eventually quit the company to sign a deal with Universal which released his 2023 epicOppenheimer. According to reports, the whole thing happened after Nolan had a fallout with WB and publicly condemned the company for releasing the studio’s 2021 film slate simultaneously in theaters as well as on its streaming platform Max.
“I don’t agree with the idea”: Christopher Nolan Will Never Agree With the One Criticism About Dunkirk That He Claims Was Deliberate on His Part
Having severe disagreement with Warner Bros. over their film release strategy which affected creative artists like Christopher Nolan and his cast and crew, the filmmaker parted his ways with the company.Tenet, released in 2020, thus became Nolan’s last film under Warner Bros’ banner. Thereafter, working on his2023 movieOppenheimer, starringCillian Murphy, Nolan signed a deal with Universal Pictures.
Considering their fallout, Warner Bros. took a drastic step of releasingMargot Robbie’sBarbieon the same day asOppenheimerto have a petty face-off. Eventually, althoughGreta Gerwig’s directorial projectwon at the box office, Christopher Nolan’s movie won at the Oscars. This led WB to realize the gravity of the situation and ever since then, the company has been hoping to patch things up with Nolan.
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who share the CEO title at Warner Bros. Film Group, informedVarietyhow the company has become desperate to win back Christopher Nolan. “We’re hoping to get Nolan back,” De Luca revealed addressing Nolan’s departure from the studio for Universal after the release ofTenet. Being hopeful about the possibility of patching things up, the film group’s co-CEOs publicly stated their desires.
Todd Phillips Complicated Things for Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan’s Patch-up
Well, although Christopher Nolan refrained from addressing Warner Bros. or the desire placed publicly by the company’s CEOs, people had been hopeful about their possible reunion. Considering how Nolan had offered iconic movies under the WB banner, fans expressed their unanimous desire for them to get back together. However, while things almost appeared good to go,Todd Phillips’Joker 2seemingly messed things up.
Joaquin Phoenix is Not the Real Joker – Todd Phillips’ Scariest Foreshadowing Might Have Come True in Joker: Folie à Deux
According to reports fromTHR, when Todd Phillips’Jokerwas released in 2019, Christopher Nolan was still a part of Warner Bros. Therefore, when Phillips had expressed his desire to end thefirst movie’s original scriptwithJoaquin Phoenix’s Joker carving his face in front of a crowd of his supporters, Nolan had dismissed the idea, believing that only Heath Ledger’s Joker should carve his face.
But now that Christopher Nolan is no longer associated with the studio, Todd Phillips faced no resistance to theidea duringJoker: Folie à Deux. Therefore, the ending of his sequel featured a man carving a smile on his face (out of focus and slightly off-camera). But who knew that this move would backfire on Phillips, and people would fail to understand this very expensive punchline?
He’s always trusted his gut — and it’s gotten him pretty far. He thought people would get the joke.WB insider said of Phillips’ idea.
So it seems thatTodd Phillips’ idea failed to resonate with audiences—perhaps Christopher Nolan was aware of the outcome, and therefore advised Phillips against using that in the 2019 movie. But now that the step backfired andJoker 2turned into the fifth bomb for a DC-character-based film—includingBlack Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The FlashandAquaman and the Lost Kingdom—it seems to have messed things up for Warner Bros.
Considering how Todd Phillips defied Christopher Nolan’s advice while working under Warner Bros., there seems to be a possibility of WB returning to square one, in regards to fixing things with Nolan. While there initially seemed to be a possibility for the filmmaker and the studio to mend their partnership, after Phillips’ bold step, the probability now seems bleak.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis currently running in theaters worldwide.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Christopher NolanCillian MurphyJoaquin PhoenixTodd Phillips
