Why Christopher Nolan is cool with you watching one of his movies on an iPad (yes, really)
Why Christopher Nolan is cool with you watching one of his movies on an iPad (yes, really)
Cory Woodroof, For The WinWed, May 20, 2026 at 9:05 PM UTC
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Why Christopher Nolan is cool with you watching one of his movies on an iPad (yes, really)
Christopher Nolan is the patron saint of the modern theatrical experience; his films becoming appointment viewings on the biggest screens possible. IMAX, preferably; in 70MM film if you can find a theater with that capability.
However, 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley recently asked Nolan the age-old question that has inspired countless memes: does he actually care if people watch one of his movies on an iPad?
The Odyssey director and Oppenheimer Oscar winner got a kick out of the question, as Pelley relived a moment on a plane where he saw someone watching Nolan's film Dunkirk on an iPad with earbuds. Does that drive him crazy?
We're pretty shocked to learn that, no, Nolan does't apparently mind at all. Nolan talked about being a VHS generation filmmaker and how much he's endeared that people have such clear access to watching films.
"I'm very much in favor and in awe of the easy access that we have now to films, to be able to immerse ourselves in films and film history," Nolan told Pelley.
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Nolan also reiterated that he's not worried about films being one day relegated to only home and personal screens.
"Theatrical film is a very, very unique form of storytelling," Nolan said. "It's only about a hundred years old, and it represents this very, very mysterious and magical combination of different mediums. So, it has the communal experience of a stage play, but it has the subjectivity of a novel. So, you're both watching a very individual perspective and having a very individual view on the film, but you're also experiencing it with the audience.
"It brings these two things together in a way that no other medium has ever done before. That's what makes it unique, and that's why it always endures."
Nolan is one of the most important people in the industry right now, so when he speaks, you sit up and listen. His optimism about the theatrical experience seems to drive his comfortability with people watching his movies on an airplane. It's all part of the ecosystem, but as Nolan wisely reinforces, theatrical presentation will always survive.
When does The Odyssey come out?
Nolan's latest film hits theaters on July 17.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Christopher Nolan is cool with you watching one of his movies on an iPad (yes, really)
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
