The Only Movies Christopher Nolan Dropped Out of Directing
A director’s involvement with a movie does not guarantee its production, a fact better known to some than others. Christopher Nolan usually follows a project through to completion once he commits to it. In contrast, Guillermo del Toro, a three-time Academy Award winner, has spent many years developing films that never began shooting. This long pursuit of unrealized projects has likely been quite frustrating for him.
Since becoming a highly respected filmmaker and Oscar winner, Nolan has gained the freedom to choose his projects with great certainty. This makes it rare for him to be attached to films that don’t reach production. In fact, the only two movies Nolan dropped out of directing occurred before he made The Dark Knight, his first billion-dollar blockbuster.
It is important to clarify that one of these was not the Howard Hughes biopic. Nolan was disappointed when his version was shelved after Martin Scorsese’s adaptation proceeded first. This project could have been career-defining for Jim Carrey. However, Nolan never officially left the director’s role; the project was abandoned due to external factors beyond his control.
The only confirmed film Nolan exited was The Prisoner, his planned adaptation of the classic 1960s television series.
"Nolan was crushed when his version of the story was mothballed after Martin Scorsese got his in front of the cameras first, and it stood every chance of being a career-defining performance for Jim Carrey."
"He did for The Prisoner, though, his mooted adaptation of the classic 1960s series."
Author’s summary: Christopher Nolan has only stepped away from directing two projects, both before his major breakthrough, showing his rare consistency and control over his film career.