Director Christopher Nolan is one of the most influential and successful filmmakers in the entertainment industry. The director assembled a highly-talented cast for his latest film, Oppenheimer (2023), delivering fans one of the best movies of this decade.
The director’s most influential and successful work is believed to be his The Dark Knight Trilogy, which is based on DC Comics character, Batman. The three films, Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), left a lasting impact on the superhero genre. In the past, the director explained why his trilogy performed better than most superhero franchises nowadays.
Christopher Nolan explained why The Dark Knight Trilogy was successful
In a world full of studios that value money over quality, director Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who still values the art of filmmaking. In a 2020 interview with 92Y, the director explained why The Dark Knight trilogy performed better than most superhero movies that are released nowadays,
“When we did ‘Batman Begins,’ we didn’t know we’d do one and it took three years to do it and then four years before the next one. We had the luxury of time. It didn’t feel like a machine, an engine of commerce for the studio. As the genre becomes so successful, those pressures become greater and greater. It was the right time.”
Most superhero franchises nowadays release sequels very quickly as the whole purpose is to earn money. During The Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan took enough time to research and create those films.
Christopher Nolan hates this superhero movie
In the past, director Zack Snyder has revealed that Christopher Nolan didn’t want him to watch Joss Whedon’s Justice League (2017). Nolan served as the executive producer but still, he was not a fan of the movie.
Initially, Zack Snyder was supposed to present his version of Justice League to the fans, however, due to a personal tragedy, Snyder had to leave the project. In his absence, Joss Whedon took over, creating a movie that catered to all types of audiences.
In 2021, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released on HBO Max. The reconstructed film with Snyder’s dark theme received mixed reviews, but still, it is considered to be one of the best DC films of all time.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy earned over $2 billion
Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy consisted of three films, Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The first film, which also featured Cillian Murphy, revived the Batman fandom and grossed over $373 million worldwide.
The second movie, The Dark Knight, was a game-changer. Grossing over $1 billion, the movie became the fourth film in history at the time to reach the billion-dollar mark. Heath Ledger, who played Joker in the movie, passed away 6 months before the release of the movie. Ledger posthumously won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the movie. The third movie, The Dark Knight Rises, also crossed the $1 billion mark and was a worldwide success.
Earning over $2.4 billion at the global box office, the trilogy elevated the superhero genre to new heights. Its impact was beyond the box office, as it inspired many superhero movies with a dark theme.
Source: IndieWire
