Christopher Nolan On If He Would Direct A James Bond Movie And The "Constraints" That Come With It

Writer-director Christopher Nolan has commented on the possibility of directing a James Bond movie one day, saying it would be an "amazing privilege" but it would also come with its own unique set of challenges. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Nolan said he is a big fan of the James Bond series and readily admits how much of an influence the series has had on his own movies.

"The influence of those movies in my filmography is embarrassingly apparent, so there's no attempt to shy away from that. I love the films and it would be an amazing privilege to do one," he said, as reported by Clutchpoints.

At the same time, Nolan admitted that working on the James Bond series would come with a number of constraints because he would only be able to change and do so much while staying within the confines of what the James Bond series is.

"When you take on a character like that or work like that, you're working within a particular set of constraints, and so you have to have the right attitude towards that--it has to be the right moment in your creative life where you can express what you want to express," he said.

Nolan worked on a major series before, having directed Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. He said he felt a similar kind of responsibility when making those films (via Deadline).

"You wouldn't want to take on a film without being fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively. So as a writer, casting, everything--it's a full package," he said. "You'd have to be really needed and wanted in terms of bringing the totality of what you bring to a character. Otherwise, I'm very happy to be first in line to see whatever they do."

In 2017, Nolan told Playboy Magazine that he has spoken with series producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson over the years. He said at the time that for him to be interested in directing a James Bond movie, it would have to be when the series is in need of "reinvention." As it happens, the producers of the Bond series have recently said that Bond 26 will be a "reinvention."

Nolan recently said he will not make another superhero movie, but he left open the possibility of directing a Star Wars film. He also said he plans to make movies for at least 10 more years.

Nolan's newest movie, Oppenheimer, releases in theaters on July 21, starring Cillian Murphy in the title role.