We bring you the facts about Christopher Nolan’s space epic…
This week, the eagerly awaited INTERSTELLAR is released in Irish cinemas. Christopher Nolan’s first film as director since THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is an epic tale of adventure and finding our way home, and boasts an impressive all-star cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway and Wes Bentley. Movies.ie gathered together the facts about INTERSTELLAR, for your reading pleasure…
1. Alright, alright, alright…
Christopher Nolan cast Matthew McConaughey as Coop after seeing him in Jeff Nichols’ MUD. Nolan didn’t realise how much potential McConaughey had as an actor, a leading man, and an Everyman until he saw MUD, and was delighted to land a native Texan for the role of Cooper.
2. This is the last time…
INTERSTELLAR features the most ever footage shot using 15/70mm IMAX cameras for a feature film, and, since the film industry’s rapid conversion to digital projection formats, could well be the last feature film ever to be projected on 15/70mm IMAX film.
3. Space, Man…
Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan’s screenplay was inspired by the works of the theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, who had previously collaborated with producer Lynda Obst on the film CONTACT. Thorne described the story for INTERSTELLAR as ‘based on warped space-time – the most exotic events in the universe suddenly becoming accessible to humans’.
4. Come Together…
INTERSTELLAR went into development in 2006, with Steven Spielberg attached to direct for Paramount Pictures. Spielberg brought Jonathan Nolan into the project before he moved DreamWorks from Paramount to The Walt Disney Company. This meant that Paramount needed a new director for INTERSTELLAR, and Jonathan Nolan suggested his brother.
5. Fresh Eyes…
This is Christopher Nolan’s first film since 1998’s FOLLOWING to not be filmed by cinematographer Wally Pfister, who was busy working on his directorial debut TRANSCENDENCE. Nolan hired cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema to replace Pfister.
6. Emerald Isle…
Nolan is notoriously secretive, so in order to offer Jessica Chastain her role, Christopher Nolan sent a watermarked script to Chastain in Ireland Ireland, where she was filming MISS JULIE. Chastain was not allowed to keep the script after she read it.
7. Inspiration…
Director Christopher Nolan cited influences on INTERSTELLAR included what he calls the ‘key touchstones’ of science fiction cinema; METROPOLIS, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and BLADE RUNNER, saying ‘The movies you grow up with, the culture you absorb through the decades, becomes part of your expectations while watching a film.’
8. Money Talks…
INTERSTELLAR is 169 minutes long and cost approx. $165 million to make, which means that each minute of the film cost approx. $976,331.36 to make.
9. Suffering for her art…
While filming in Iceland, actor Anne Hathaway almost suffered hypothermia while filming a scene in water. Her dry suit was not secure, which led to water rushing into the suit.
10. When can I see it?
INTERSTELLAR is released in Irish cinemas on November 7th, 2014
Words: Brogen Hayes