Christopher Nolan had a falling out with Warner Bros. during the release of “Tenet” and went on to make “Oppenheimer” at Universal. Now, however, it seems Nolan and his erstwhile studio have patched things up with the news that “Tenet” is returning to theaters for one week starting on Friday, February 23, 2024 — complete with screenings of new footage from Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming sequel “Dune: Part 2.” This marks a unique team-up between longtime friends Nolan and Villeneuve, who spoke to the AP last week following a screening of the “Tenet” re-release.
It was during this conversation that Nolan revealed that he’d not only screened a 70mm print of “Oppenheimer” for Steven Spielberg prior to the film’s release, but that he’d been present throughout to witness the legendary filmmaker’s reaction. As the director explained:
“[Spielberg] had called me about something else and I had just got the print as well and I hadn’t shown it to anyone. I mean, the studio had seen it. But we screened it for him on his own. I sat behind him and watched him watch the film. It was an extraordinary experience.”
According to Nolan, Spielberg had nothing but “very kind things” to say after seeing the film, which Villeneuve seemed to confirm by revealing that the director told him he “absolutely adored” “Oppenheimer.” As to why Nolan would put himself through the torture of literally watching Spielberg watch his movie, he simply said, “I wasn’t even supposed to watch it with him, but seeing the great master watching? It was sort of irresistible.”