Christopher Nolan Says This Will Ferrell Comedy Is One Of The Best Ever

In a recently resurfacing viral interview clip from two years ago, Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan shared his "remote drop" movies--the movies that arrest his attention instantly, and without fail prompt him to stop flipping around. During his 2021 appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Nolan went deep in a candid conversation about his preferred selections, a roster that also boasts a surprising comedy gem.

Unveiling his list, Nolan included expected nods to "anything by Stanley Kubrick," but then veered into unanticipated territories to "great comedies… I mean, Talladega Nights, I'm never going to be able to switch that off." Check out a clip from the interview below to see for yourself.

Talladega Nights features Will Ferrell and is directed by Adam McKay. Ferrell plays the lead role of Ricky Bobby, a pit crew member who becomes a successful NASCAR driver. The movie blends humor, competition, and camaraderie as Ricky Bobby deals with rivalries, friendships, and the professional racing world. Sacha Baron Cohen and John C. Reilly also have notable roles in the film.

Nolan proved his fandom for the film by also quoting Ricky Bobby's catchphrase, "If you ain't first, you're last."

Ferrell plays a fictionalized version of Mattel's CEO in the Barbie movie, which will perhaps forever be closely linked with Nolan's work through the surprising and very-real Barbenheimer double feature many theatergoers have experienced. Nolan has openly endorsed this trend, seeing it as good for cinema.

Oppenheimer opened in July, and already this month cleared a major milestone this weekend, surpassing $500 million at the global box office. In another, more recent interview, Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy--who steps into the titular role--explained that while the biopic will be released on home video soon, it won't feature any deleted scenes in the bonus features. "The script is the movie. He's not fiddling around with it, trying to change the story. [The script is] the movie," Murphy told Collider.