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'Tenet' director Christopher Nolan slammed after he criticizes Warner Bros for HBO Max decision: 'You caused this'

Nolan termed Warner Bros's decision to release its entire 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously on HBO Max as 'very, very, very, very messy'. However, his opinion was slammed on Twitter

'Tenet' director Christopher Nolan slammed Warner Bros and expressed his disappointment with the studio’s decision to release its entire 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously on HBO Max. Speaking to ET, Nolan termed the decision "very, very, very, very messy." He added: "A real bait and switch. Yeah, it’s sort of not how you treat filmmakers and stars and people who, these guys have given a lot for these projects. They deserved to be consulted and spoken to about what was going to happen to their work."

"There's such controversy around it because they didn't tell anyone," he said. In 2021, they've got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they've got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences. They're meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences... And now they're being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service – for the fledgling streaming service – without any consultation."

The criticism also had the internet weighing in on his thoughts. A debate saw netizens take both sides with each of them having their reasons. For some, Nolan was the reason behind their decision. "LOL. Christopher Nolan is the REASON that Warner Brothers made the decision they did. He f**ked them on TENET. He forced it to go theatrical and lose millions of dollars. Any filmmakers who are angry should direct their complaints to Nolan. He caused this," read one of the tweets.

And the support for WB continued. "WB is trying to give entertainment to audiences during the pandemic, theaters are currently off the board in many states. Theaters aren’t dead, but they just aren’t accessible at the moment. I appreciate what they’re doing and am excited to see #WW84 safely at home," read a comment.

"The man saying this when WB did everything he wanted for TENET release. I love his movies but lately I hate his attitude," opined one of the fans.

"The poor turnout for Tenet is one of the reasons they made this decision & honestly it’s a great marketing move to boost the streamers numbers. It won’t make nearly as much as a normal box office but it will help they’re subscriber numbers while they establish the new streamer," explained one of the fans.

That safety was a priority that was highlighted. "I am absolutely THRILLED that all of Warner Bros' movies are going to HBOMax. There is no way in hell I am going to a theatre until at least 250,000,000 Americans are vaccinated against Covid. No movie is worth the admission price of dying."

Support for Nolan wasn't far away either. "Personally I don't like it. Should have just been patient. I feel this is just going to lead to lower quality made for streaming movies and help kill the culture of american cinema," wrote a fan. "Are you serious? I don't blame them for being pissed that Warner Bros. screwed them over. I don't know why people always take the corporations' side when they are clearly wrong. Let Nolan speak his mind. I love it. CINEMA MUST BE SAVED!" reckoned another.

"Wow. Christopher Nolan says: "[WB's] decision makes no economic sense and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.” Brutal. This move is sure changing the industry... but probably not in the way that Warner intended," said one of the fans.

Much of this conversation centers around the same time as the release of his time-travel thriller, 'Tenet' which is running in cinemas, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The film has grossed $57 million in North America according to Variety and topped $300 million internationally. His other successful projects with WB include, 'The Dark Knight Trilogy', 'Inception', 'Dunkirk' and 'Interstellar'. 

Warner Bros sent shockwaves on December 3 with its announcement that all 17 of its 2021 titles — including the fourth 'Matrix', 'The Suicide Squad,' 'Godzilla v. Kong,' 'Dune' and 'In the Heights' — would debut on HBO Max immediately upon theatrical release.