Interstellar 2: Will We Ever See This Christopher Nolan Sequel?
Interstellar 2 had been rumored two years ago, though there's been little to no movement in the production.
If Christopher Nolan is willing, Hollywood would definitely want to make Interstellar 2. The original movie grossed $678 million at the worldwide box office and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Any potential sequel would be a moneymaker. And with Oppenheimer exploding at the box office, the dude still is a major draw. What’s not clear is how interested Christopher Nolan is in making it, which is always the operative issue.
What we know for now is that this source claimed Interstellar 2 was in development. What’s more, Warner Brothers wants Christopher Nolan back to direct and were actively working to get him on board. Ideally, they want him to write and direct again, but they might be willing to settle for having him simply work on writing the script.
When it comes to Interstellar 2, maybe the most important question is would you want it to happen? Writer/director extraordinaire Christopher Nolan brought audiences the sci-fi movie Interstellar back in 2014 and since that time, talk (or hope) has circled around whether there should be a sequel. Should there?
INTERSTELLAR STARRED MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND ANNE HATHAWAY
Before discussing Interstellar 2, let’s set the stage. The original movie, co-written by Nolan (The Prestige, Memento) and his brother Jonathan (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), tells the story of an Earth struggling to survive.
Astronauts, led by Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, are sent into space in hopes of finding a home for humanity. Their ship, the Endurance, is carrying 5,000 frozen human embryos when it travels through a wormhole near Saturn. Their goal is to see if one of two plans will produce a viable planet on which to live.
In typical Nolan fashion, shit hits the fan, and lives are lost. Also, in typical Chris Nolan fashion, the story involves time manipulation. Younger and older versions of the same characters appear, all trying to save each other. The astronauts are brought to a planet that a previous astronaut reported was habitable. They find out that the planet isn’t but were brought there to save the astronaut.
The movie had some things to say about humanity. And the Nolan brothers prove that in the almost three-hour runtime, but ultimately many thought the movie lacked the killer instinct some Christopher Nolan movies had from the past. While the ending provided an emotional punch, does it need Interstellar 2?
THE NOLAN BROTHERS WOULD HAVE TO BE INVOLVED
Obviously, if we are talking Interstellar 2, Christopher Nolan needs to be involved. As with many of his movies (or perhaps all), Nolan has had a hand in writing or co-writing each one. So, expect him to also pen any potential sequel. Also, expect his brother to be involved in some way with the script.
However, other than the Dark Knight trilogy, Christopher Nolan has steered clear of sequels. That would seem to make the likelihood of Interstellar 2 happening something of a stretch.
For his part, Nolan has remained tight-lipped about a possible Interstellar 2, though he has been approached many times concerning one and fans have been clamoring for one pretty much since the first movie premiered.
This doesn’t mean Nolan hasn’t given it some thought, but he has never been one to talk about his future projects or even current projects for that matter.
INTERSTELLAR 2 WOULDN’T HAVE TO RETURN THE ORIGINAL CAST, BUT IT COULD
Which actors could come back for Interstellar 2 depends on what direction Chris Nolan would want to take the story. Given Nolan’s reputation, we could easily see Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway return if the story was a strong one.
When Sky News asked McConaughey about Interstellar 2, he had this to say: “It’s possible, I’d have to go through the due diligence I always do – script, director etc but it’s possible.”
We could just as likely see Matt Damon return for Interstellar 2 if Nolan were to pick up the story before the events of the Endurance.
If Chris Nolan decided to have McConaughey’s son as the main character, obviously an older actor would have to portray him.
INTERSTELLAR 2 COULD BE ABOUT SAVING ANNE HATHAWAY’S CHARACTER
After the emotional ending where McConaughey’s Joseph Cooper is reunited with his daughter (now much older than he), she convinces him to return to Anne Hathaway’s Amelia Brand and the planet she found habitable. That is where we are left, with Cooper flying off to join Brand.
So, where would Interstellar 2 pick up? Would Cooper arrive at the planet and begin his romance with Brand? Could Nolan go the prequel/sequel route and tell the story of the astronauts (which include Matt Damon) who came before the Endurance? Perhaps Nolan would follow Tom, who is the son of McConaughey’s character. There are possibilities here.
As we know and have said before, Christopher Nolan loves to play with and explore the concepts around time in his movies. It’s been a recurring theme in almost all of his work. A sequel to this movie could definitely continue the theme on a massive scale.
In the meantime, Nolan is set to release Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023. The movie will star Cillian Murphy in a biopic about the man who helped facilitate the creation of the atomic bomb. It has an all-star cast and could be in play come award season for sure.
In all, the first Interstellar stands well on its own as a singular sci-fi movie. It doesn’t need a sequel, though it may deserve one. If we’re lucky, we may still get Interstellar 2 someday.
