Denis Villeneuve Pays Tribute To Christopher Nolan: ‘He Keeps Fascinating Me’ – Exclusive

Over the course of his career, Christopher Nolan has become more than just a director – he’s practically a genre within himself. Whether he’s making historical dramas or mind-bending thrillers, or superhero crime sagas, all of his works are… well, Nolan-esque. And if there’s a filmmaker who feels like a true contemporary of Nolan, who’s risen to similarly cerebral blockbusterdom in recent years, whose films sometimes contain noticeably Nolan-esque touches, it’s Denis Villeneuve. Like Nolan, Villeneuve began with ambitious indie fare, before entering the studio system and conjuring seismic cinematic feats like Dune.

Now, in Empire’s Christopher Nolan Special Collector’s Edition, Villeneuve has paid tribute to his fellow filmmaker – writing exclusively for Empire on his trailblazing friend. And, in his own words, Villeneuve likens Nolan to some of the all-time greats. “Chris Marker, Rod Serling, Tarkovsky, Kubrick… Christopher Nolan belongs to this group of artists: the time explorers, the inventors, the magicians, those who dream more deeply,” he writes. “Chris’ technical ambitions and mastery, combined with his impressive ability to transform abstract concepts into compelling dramatic journeys, make him a unique artist and easily one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Movie after movie, he keeps fascinating me.”

Of course, it absolutely stands that the man who began his Dune movie with the quote, “Dreams are messages from the deep”, would have a significant admiration for the man who imagined dreams as the ultimate cinematic action playground. And in the rest of the tribute, you’ll read about one of Villeneuve’s own dreams, in which he’s visited by Nolan and a mystical Slinky in an old European hotel. Here’s hoping both keep dreaming up new masterpieces for many years to come.

Read Denis Villeneuve’s full tribute to Christopher Nolan in the Christopher Nolan Special Collector’s Edition – an entire magazine taking a deep-dive through Nolan’s complete filmography, with set visit reports, interviews, spoiler breakdowns, and much more. Read here for more info on all the goodies inside. Find the issue on newsstands now, or order a copy online here.