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Christopher Nolan says he wanted to hold Tenet premiere in India but Covid ruined plans: ‘Wanted to do this for years’
Christopher Nolan revealed why he choose India as a part of his press tour for his upcoming movie, The Odyssey.
For filmmaker Christopher Nolan, bringing The Odyssey to India is more than a promotional stop; it's the fulfilment of a promise delayed by the pandemic. Recalling his earlier visit to Mumbai and his admiration for India's passion for cinema, the filmmaker explained why he was determined to make the country a key part of the film's global journey.
Christopher Nolan wanted to hold Tenet premieres in India
Ahead of The Odyssey's red-carpet premiere in Mumbai, director Christopher Nolan, actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland, along with producer Emma Thomas, attended a press conference in the city on July 11. During the press conference, when asked what made him choose India as part of the Odysseys press tour journey, the filmmaker said, "Oh, well, that's easy. I mean, I first came to Mumbai years ago, brought by my friend Shivendra (Singh Dungarpur) to do a conference about the future of film. I met a lot of filmmakers and really got to know a little bit about the film culture here. And I've never been anywhere in the world with an appreciation of what movies can be and what they should be for audiences."
Nolan further revealed that he planned to hold Tenet premieres in India, but Covid ruined the plans and said, “And to me, it seemed crazy that we wouldn't be bringing our films here to premiere them for Mumbai audiences, and absolutely thrilled to be able to do this. We had actually intended to come with Tenet originally because we filmed here in Mumbai, and then because of the pandemic, we weren't able to. And so finally, we're actually able to, and it's a thrill. We wanted to do this for years.”
Tenet is one of Christopher Nolan's most ambitious films. Released in 2020, the film stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh and Dimple Kapadia. It follows a secret agent, known only as the protagonist, who must prevent a global catastrophe by navigating a world where objects and people can move backwards through time. A key sequence of the spy thriller was shot in Mumbai in 2019. Nolan collaborated with Indian cast members, including Dimple Kapadia, who made her Hollywood debut with the film.
About The Odyssey
The Odyssey marks Christopher Nolan's first film after he won the Best Director Oscar for Oppenheimer. The film is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, and chronicles his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope, portrayed by Anne Hathaway.
The ensemble cast also includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. The film is set to hit the theatres on July 17.
