Streaming films must be preserved, says Christopher Nolan

According to Christopher Nolan, if films were removed from streaming services and were not able to be viewed on tangible media devices, they would disappear from the world of filmmaking and would not be available for viewing again.

The Washington Post conducted an online interview with the director of Oppenheimer on Friday, in which he discussed how the film is slated for a home release.

A recent Oppenheimer screening in which Nolan mentioned how important it is to release a film in home theatres in order to prevent an “evil streaming service” from taking it away from the audiences was merely a joke, but Nolan does see the risk of exclusive streaming services for films that will only be available on the service.

It is important to remember that if you only have streaming versions of things, there is a threat that they will be taken down in the future,” said Nolan to the publication. Usually, they are a one-hit wonder, as are broadcast versions of films, so my films may go on HBO or whatever channel they choose, but they are a one-hit wonder. The home video version of the DVD, however, will always exist, so people will always have access to it, since it will always be available. As filmmakers, we have taken that for granted since the 1980s, and now we have to make sure that we are able to continue to allow it to happen, even if the physical media doesn’t make it possible.”

In addition to clarifying that he supports improvements to the cinematic experience, Nolan also stated that his “culture of film thrives when new innovations are adopted.” That said, he is also aware that “the accessibility of your work” is an asset that must be protected in the future.

There is a danger that I am talking about when it comes to a filmmaker’s film losing its streaming status overnight and then never coming back over the following weeks or months. This is not an intentional conspiracy on the part of the filmmaker,” he said. As the licensing agreements and the way things are evolving, that’s just the way things are going with this particular licensing agreement. Therefore, it is worth mentioning because it is something that needs to be addressed. However, I am confident that it will be addressed in the near future.”