Christopher Nolan was one of the most vocal critics of Warner Bros.' plan to send its entire 2021 film slate to the HBO Max streaming service the same day they hit theaters, and it looks like the filmmaker fully intends to back up his words with action.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the Tenet director is “unlikely” to work with WB again in the future, due in large part to WarnerMedia's controversial deal and the decision not to consult the filmmakers before making the announcement.
Nolan released all but his earliest movies (Following and Memento) either directly through or with the backing of Warner Bros., so if this is true, it will be a massive blow to the studio. Tenet may not have been the success they'd hoped for (the circumstances of its release didn't help), but WB has always counted on the director to deliver major box office hits, and will certainly feel the loss if he were to take his business elsewhere.
We're not sure if Nolan currently has any movies in development at Warner Bros., but this could obviously throw any potential projects into jeopardy.
What do you guys make of this? Do you respect Nolan for putting his money where his mouth is, or do you think he should continue what has so far been a very successful relationship with the studio?