'Tenet': Michael Caine says Christopher Nolan is so 'secretive' that he won't let him have the script
Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet' is touted to be another massive blockbuster from the acclaimed director. The film's teaser had created much buzz with its teaser-trailer last year, leaving fans to ponder and speculate. The film's plot has been kept under wraps and it turns out that the cast of the film is also in the dark.
In an interview with The Hindu, Michael Caine revealed that he not only knows what the film's title means, but he doesn't know the plot beyond the few pages of the script that was given to him. "[Nolan] is so secretive he won’t let me have the script. All I had was one day’s work and he gave me my pages. I did my part and shot only with John David. I haven’t heard anything since," said Caine.
Nolan is said to think of Caine as 'his lucky mascot'. The actor confirmed this and said, "All the films I have made with him have raked in over a billion dollars, so he has to have me in a film even if he has no part for me. In Dunkirk, I was only a voice-over and I got billing in the credit title.”
Caine is well-known for his portrayal of Batman/ Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth in 'The Dark Knight' trilogy. When Nolan said he wanted Caine for Batman, he was taken aback. “I told him, "I am too old for Batman. Do you want me to play the butler? What would my dialogues be? Would you like another beverage or more custard?’” The director then explained that he saw Alfred’s character to be a lot more than just a butler and that he was ‘the foster-father of Batman’. "So, I did the movie and it was one of the greatest things I have done in my life," explained Caine.
Speaking about his upcoming releases for the year, Caine said, "There’s a modern version of Oliver Twist called Twist. It is very grown-up and Rita Ora plays the Artful Dodger. Before Christmas, I did Best Sellers, a comedy movie in Montreal about an alcoholic author who has to go out and publicize his book." The two scheduled for 2021 are historical action drama 'Medieval and Four Kids' and 'It' (based on the eponymous 2012 novel by Jacqueline Wilson).
'Tenet' will also star John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, Himesh Patel and Kenneth Branagh. "We’re jumping off from the point of view of an espionage film, but we’re going to a number of different places,” Nolan said in a previous interview. “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."
'Tenet' is expected to release on July 17, 2020.