The Big Picture

  • Nolan initially conceived Inception as a horror film, exploring the idea of someone invading dreams to steal secrets.
  • Fans of Nightmare on Elm Street would be intrigued by the horror elements Nolan originally had in mind for Inception.
  • Despite not yet making a horror film, Nolan's past work shows his admiration for the genre, making fans eager for what he'll create next.

Christopher Nolan is currently enjoying the award season wealth thanks to his masterful work on the epic-sized biopic Oppenheimer. The film, based around theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, was a blend of many different genres. This included dashes of horror that made the reality of his life-changing creation, the atomic bomb, that much more haunting. Nolan recently talked about his desire to make a horror film, but via The Telegraph and Syfy, the director revealed that his sci-fi thriller Inception was originally conceived with the horror genre in mind.

“I was thinking along the lines of a horror movie at first, but it eventually became this project (Inception).” Nolan said before explaining, “I was looking for a device whereby the dreams would become important to the story, and the thought that someone could invade your dream space and steal an idea is immensely compelling to me. The concept that dreams feel real while we’re in them underlies the whole film.” The end product, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Elliot Page, saw a thief with the ability to enter people's dreams. That allowed him to steal their deepest and darkest secrets. Its execution, paired with Nolan’s mind-bending visual flare, had more in common with James Bond and classic spy movies than anything else.

A Nightmare on Nolan Street

However, these intriguing comments are a great reminder that context can change your entire story. What Nolan describes will definitely pique any Nightmare on Elm Street fan’s interest. The slasher villain that headlines this iconic franchise, Freddy Krueger, would be at home in Nolan’s original vision for what Inception was born out of. The thriller came out the same year as the last Nightmare film, 2010, and horror fans would kill to see a Nolan-directed Freddy murder spree. Some would say it would be a dream.

While fans are still waiting for a proper Nolan horror film, the reason the idea has gained so much interest is because the director has a clear admiration for the genre. All you have to do is look at Batman Begins and Scarecrow's nightmare fuel. However, as mentioned previously, Oppenheimer was filled with horrific imagery and tension that would make even the most seasoned genre viewer sweat. Right now, Nolan is just waiting for the right story. As we wait for the day we can watch a Nolan horror film in theaters, you can stream Inception and Oppenheimer currently on Peacock. The trailer for Inception can be viewed below.