If there’s one thing Christopher Nolan knows besides extraordinary filmmaking, it’s holding a grudge.
Nolan is a man of precision if there ever was one, and this meticulousness is always conspicuous in his work. From the story he crafts and the complex plots that cascade throughout his films to the impeccable casting, the iconic director has it all nailed down to the most minute detail. So, when his first choice for The Dark Knight Trilogy turned down the project, the British-American filmmaker was frustrated, to say the least. And boy did he make sure to hold it over the actor’s head.
Christopher Nolan Had A Bone to Pick With Josh Hartnett
An actor and producer, Josh Hartnett has starred in numerous action films with a combination of war and comedy, including 2001’s Pearl Harbor and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre which was his most recent stint. But when the 44-year-old was offered the opportunity to take over as Batman in Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy, he ended up refusing it, which he soon realized was probably one of the gravest mistakes of his career.
“I’ve definitely said no to some of the wrong people,” Hartnett admitted in a 2015 interview with Playboy Magazine. While his primary reason behind rejecting Batman Begins (2005) had to do with his familial obligations, the Wrath of Man star still regretted the dent it put in his equation with someone as esteemed as Nolan. “I said no because I was tired and wanted to spend more time with my friends and family.” But as Hartnett would later come to find out, his actions bore some rather dire repercussions.
A year later, when Hartnett wanted to be a part of The Prestige which went on to receive two Academy Award nominations, a chagrined Nolan outright refused to cast him. “I learned my lesson when Christopher Nolan and I talked about Batman. I decided it wasn’t for me. Then he didn’t want to put me in The Prestige.” Not only did the 57-year-old director pick Christian Bale for the role Hartnett was opting for, but he also went ahead to hire his then-girlfriend, Scarlett Johansson.
Ouch, that ought to hurt.
Nolan probably took Batman’s “I am Vengeance” bit a little too seriously.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Stars Josh Hartnett
Needless to say, the two have smoothened out their differences ever since.
Not too long after The Prestige debacle, Hartnett realized the error of his ways and how the relationships that were established on the superhero threequel’s set carried immense significance. “I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented,” the Black Hawk Down star remarked. Luckily for him, Nolan was willing to move past it all, and lo and behold, he took Josh Hartnett on board for Oppenheimer!
The highly-anticipated biographical film stars Hollywood’s elites, including Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and the like. Based on real-life events surrounding the famous physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his involvement in the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer, which was created on an incredulous budget of $100 million, is one of the most awaited films of this year.
Source: Playboy Magazine
