Why Christopher Nolan Does Not Allow Chairs On The Set

Anne Hathaway, who has worked with Christopher Nolan in movies like “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Interstellar,” has revealed that the filmmaker does not allow “chairs” on the set due to a certain belief.

Hathaway joined Hugh Jackman for Variety’s Actors on Actors video chat and discussed a lot of things that they have achieved so far in their careers. During the chat, Jackman noted that filmmakers Darren Aronofsky and Denis Villeneuve do not allow cellphones at the shoot.

Hathaway chimed in and stated that Nolan is the third director who does not allow phones while filming. The actress went one step further and revealed that the “Dark Knight” helmer does not even allow chairs on the set.

The “Get Smart” actress then said that the reason why Nolan does not allow chairs is very simple. The filmmaker believes that if there would be chairs on the set, people would just sit on them, and if they would sit on them, that would mean they’re not doing what they were supposed to do.

“Chris also does not allow chairs. I worked with him twice. He does not allow chairs, and his reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they are sitting, they are not working. I mean, he has these incredible movies in terms of score and ambition and technical prowess and emotion,” Variety quoted Hathaway, as saying.

In 2017, the filmmaker explained how mobile phones have become a “huge distraction” for people and insisted that people work much better when they are away from their gadgets.

“Phones have become a huge distraction, and people work much better without them. At first, it causes difficulty, but it really allows them to concentrate on what they’re doing. Everybody understands. I have had a lot of crews thank me. With a set, we’re trying to create a bubble of an alternate reality,” Nolan told Esquire.

Meanwhile, Nolan’s upcoming movie “Tenet” is facing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Warner Bros. has taken the tough decision of delaying “Tenet” once again due to the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming film from Nolan will be releasing on Aug. 12 instead. This is the second time that the movie is being delayed by the production giant.

The organization said they are launching the movie in the middle of the week to develop a different, yet “successful” strategy.

The movie stars John David Washington in the lead role and the cast also includes Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, Clemence Poesy, Himesh Patel, and Dimple Kapadia.