Steven Spielberg is one of the most legendary filmmakers in cinematic history, but even he admits that some projects are better left to others. In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Spielberg opened up about his early involvement with the 2014 sci-fi masterpiece Interstellar, revealing why he stepped away and why he believes Christopher Nolan was the perfect director to bring the story to life.
Before Nolan took the helm, Spielberg spent nearly a year developing the space epic. The director shared that his fascination with the subject matter led him deep into the world of astrophysics. “I was involved with Interstellar for a year… and I became fascinated with it,” Spielberg explained during a press tour for his upcoming sci-fi film Disclosure Day. He even spent significant time at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, collaborating with scientists and aerospace engineers to ground the project in reality.
Despite his enthusiasm, the project struggled to find its footing under Spielberg’s vision. He enlisted Jonathan Nolan—Christopher Nolan’s brother—to pen the early drafts, but admitted, “it didn’t stick.” It was during this creative standstill that Jonathan made a spot-on prediction about the film’s future.
“Jonah actually said, ‘If there comes a point where you decide not to make this movie, I can tell you who’s gonna grab it. He’s already bugging me about it. And that’s my brother Chris,'” Spielberg recalled.
True to Jonathan’s word, the transition was almost immediate. Spielberg noted that the moment he decided to pass on the project, Christopher Nolan jumped on board “probably the next day.”
Reflecting on the final 2014 film—which starred Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain—Spielberg has nothing but high praise for the direction Nolan took. He generously admitted, “Interstellar was a much better movie in Chris Nolan’s hands than it would have been in mine.”
While we may never see Spielberg’s version of Interstellar, fans of the iconic director won’t have to wait long for his return to the sci-fi genre, with his new film Disclosure Day on the horizon. Meanwhile, Nolan’s Interstellar remains a defining achievement in modern science fiction.
(Source: Empire Magazine)
