See an exclusive first look at Christopher Nolan's Tenet — his 'most ambitious' film yet

Tenet type Movie genre Thriller

“So, what can I not tell you about my movie?”

“We’re jumping off from the point of view of an espionage film, but we’re going to a number of different places,” explains the director of the blockbusters Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and the Christian Bale-starring Batman trilogy. “We’re crossing a few different genres in a hopefully exciting and fresh way. [Producer] Emma [Thomas] and I have put together a lot of large-scale productions, but this is certainly the biggest in terms of international reach. We shot in seven countries, all over the place, with a massive cast and huge set pieces. There’s no question, it’s the most ambitious film we’ve made.”

The director also reveals that Washington is “very much the hero” of Tenet. “He’s a massively talented actor and physically gifted,” Nolan says of the BlacKkKlansman star, who is a former professional football player. “He’s an athlete and pretty hard for anybody to keep up with, including the different vehicles we shot him from — cars and helicopters. [Laughs] This guy moves.”

Image zoom Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros.

Speaking of vehicles, Washington recalls the difficulty of looking at ease while shooting a boat-set sequence with Debicki. “I was terrified, but when Christopher Nolan yelled ‘Action!’ I had to throw all that away and make it look cool,” says the actor. Why was he terrified? “Because it’s a boat, man!” Washington adds with a laugh. “I don’t know how to drive a boat! But I had to act like I did.”

See exclusive first look images from Tenet above.

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