Movies - TV
Christopher Nolan Originally Had Much Humbler Plans For
The Prestige
By MIKE SHUTT
Director Christopher Nolan, known for big-budget films like “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” trilogy, intended for the magician thriller “The Prestige” to be smaller in scale. Having begun his career as a small budget director, Nolan wanted to return closer to his roots and avoid another enormous production.
“The Prestige” was made for $40 million, though the scale appears grander, as the story spans several continents and required extensive period-specific design work. In an interview with Empire, Nolan revealed his efforts to reduce the grandeur, like shooting all scenes on location and primarily using handheld cameras.
While he apparently thought he was making “some obscure little art film,” the studio loved it, and it became one of his most popular and acclaimed films. These days, he has no illusions about high budget filmmaking, as anyone who has seen “Tenet” can attest to.