Christopher Nolan: Director criticises Warner's streaming plans

Christopher Nolan has directed blockbusters, including Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk, for Warner Bros

Director Christopher Nolan has criticised Warner Bros over its plans to release major movies on HBO Max.

The titles, such as Dune, Matrix 4 and The Suicide Squad, will now premiere simultaneously on the streaming site and in US cinemas next year.

The move comes in response to the pandemic, but has also been viewed as a further blow to the cinema industry.

Nolan, who has worked with Warner Bros since 2002's Insomnia, said his reaction to it was one of "disbelief".

The BBC has asked Warner Bros for a response.

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"There's such controversy around it, because they didn't tell anyone," Nolan told Entertainment Tonight.

"In 2021, they've got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they've got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences."

Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson star in Dune

He added: "They're meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences. And now they're being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service - for the fledgling streaming service - without any consultation. So, there's a lot of controversy."

"It's very, very, very, very messy. A real bait and switch. Yeah, it's sort of not how you treat filmmakers and stars and people who, these guys have given a lot for these projects. They deserved to be consulted and spoken to about what was going to happen to their work."

'The worst streaming service'

Nolan's Warner Bros-produced films include the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk.

His recent blockbuster Tenet was roundly praised by critics for its attempts to put bums back on UK cinema seats following the first national lockdown.

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However, It has so-far grossed an estimated $360m (£270m) at the global box office - which would be viewed as a disappointment in any normal year.

Tenet was viewed by many as the film to try and get people back into the cinema following lockdown

In a separate statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan took aim at the HBO Max itself - Warner's equivalent of Netflix and/or Disney+ - labelling it as "the worst streaming service".

"Some of our industry's biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service," he said.

"Warner Bros had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker's work out everywhere, both in theatres and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak.

"They don't even understand what they're losing. Their decision makes no economic sense and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction."