Christopher Nolan ‘Absolutely’ Won’t Work On Another Film Until Strike Ends: ‘It’s Not About Me’

Christopher Nolan joins his cast of “Oppenheimer” to exit Hollywood as SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes ensue.

A day after the ensemble of his J. Robert Oppenheimer epic – including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh – walked out of the film’s London premiere as the SAG-AFTRA strike began simultaneously, Nolan said BBC news that he won’t attempt another film project until the work disruptions are resolved.

“Absolutely no. It is very important that everyone understands that it is a key moment in the relationship between workers and Hollywood,” Nolan told the outlet as SAG-AFTRA protested the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) refusal to offer a residual stronger framework for streaming content and protecting actors and other talent from the threat of artificial intelligence.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about the stars of my movie,” Nolan said. His film, to be released July 21 from Universal Pictures, premiered in London on the same day that SAG-AFTRA chairman Fran Drescher officially declared an order for a union-wide strike. This marks the first strike by the dual union – combining SAG-AFTRA and WGA, which went on strike May 2 – to hit Hollywood in 60 years.

“It’s about working actors, it’s about TV show writers trying to raise a family, trying to keep food on the table.”

SAG-AFTRA said its now-expired contract with AMPTP ignores how studios compensate talent for content that airs well beyond its initial release date.

Nolan said that the AMPTP member studios failed to account for “this new world of streaming and a world where they don’t license their products to other broadcasters—they keep it to themselves.”

The five-time Oscar-nominated director added, “They haven’t yet offered to pay the working union members adequately, and it’s very important that they do. I think you would never want a strike, you would never want industrial action. But there are times when it is necessary. This is one of those times.”

Speaking to BBC News shortly before Thursday night’s London premiere of ‘Oppenheimer’, Nolan added: ‘It’s very important to bear in mind that there are people who have been out of work for months now, as part of the writers’ strike, and with the actors potentially joining – a lot of people will suffer.

In the wake of the ongoing strikes, Nolan currently has no plans to work on a film in the UK or the US. Meanwhile, productions featuring SAG-AFTRA talent are shutting down globally, from ‘Deadpool 3’ to ‘Venom 3’ and ‘Gladiator 2’.