After Criticizing HBO Max, Christopher Nolan Ditches Warner Bros. For Universal With Next Movie

After acclaimed director Christopher Nolan blasted WarnerMedia for its decision to release its 2021 slate on HBO Max simultaneously with theaters, many wondered if Nolan would stick with the studio for his next project. Now we know he will not.

Nolan's next movie, a World War II film about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atom bomb, will be made for Fast & Furious studio Universal, according to Deadline.

Universal has greenlit the film, and it will start production in the first quarter of 2022, the report said. It's not a total surprise that Nolan is ending his relationship with WarnerMedia, as it was previously reported that he was shopping his next movie around to multiple studios.

It's an end of an era for Nolan, who made his biggest and most successful films--Inception, the Batman trilogy, Interstellar, and Dunkirk--with Warner Bros. Nolan's latest movie, Tenet, released in the middle of the pandemic--in theaters exclusively.

Netflix boss Scott Stuber previously said he would do everything in his power to convince Nolan to make his next movie with the streaming giant, but that's not happening. Deadline said Universal, MGM, and Sony were the real contenders, with Universal winning out.

Nolan strongly criticized WarnerMedia's decision to release the studio's 2021 theatrical films day and date on HBO Max, and specifically for how the movie giant apparently did not give a heads up to directors and talent. Recently, it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that WarnerMedia paid stars and talent $200 million to make up for shifting movies to HBO Max. For what it's worth, this strategy will not continue in 2022, as WarnerMedia has signed 45-day exclusive windows with multiple movie chains in the US.