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With Following, Memento, and Insomnia, Christopher Nolan boldly announced himself to the Hollywood scene at the turn of the millennium. After establishing a knack for complex narrative structures complemented by flawed protagonists and philosophical undertones, he shifted gears to work on a film about one of American history’s most iconic figures, Howard Hughes. Having collaborated with one of the world’s biggest stars on the project, Nolan once characterized his screenplay for the planned film as “the best script I’ve ever written.”
Amid its development phase, however, misfortune struck the proposed biopic, and the filmmaker shelved it in favor of bringing Batman back to the cinema. But given the level of success and acclaim Christopher Nolan’s since achieved, one can’t help but wonder what his film about the famed aviator would’ve amounted to had it taken flight.
What Was Christopher Nolan’s Inspiration for His Howard Hughes Biopic?
Wanting to bring one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic and complex figures to the silver screen, Christopher Nolan reportedly took inspiration from Michael Drosnin‘s 1985 book, Citizen Hughes: The Power, the Money and the Madness. Focusing on the later years of Hughes’ life, notoriously characterized by a reclusive deterioration into mental illness, Drosnin’s account includes content taken directly from Hughes’ personal writings. Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, plagued by a paralyzing fear of germs, and suffering from drug addiction resulting from chronic pain, the man who once ate up the spotlight had infamously vanished from public view.
While promoting Insomnia, Christopher Nolan revealed that he was writing a screenplay about Howard Hughes’ life, and was actively collaborating with an actor on the project. “No one has ever gone ahead with a Howard Hughes biopic,” he told The AV Club. “I think casting may have had something to do with it, and I think I’ve found the one guy, in the person of Jim Carrey, who can actually do what’s required by the part.” Though before 2002, Howard Hughes had been portrayed in various mediums and served as the basis for characters on film, Nolan was indeed wading through uncharted waters in attempting to give the billionaire the big screen biopic treatment.
As for Jim Carrey, whose career had veered into some noteworthy directions by 2002, the idea of stepping into Howard Hughes’ larger-than-life shoes must’ve been equally exciting and daunting. Obviously known as a comedic powerhouse capable of off-the-wall performances, the actor had recently played against type with dramatic turns in The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and The Majestic. Carrey was clearly looking for challenging opportunities that would allow him to stretch as a performer, so the timing in terms of tackling yet another complex role arguably couldn’t have been better. Nolan said of his casting decision, “He is just perfect. He was born to play him. We have met several times to discuss the specifics of the direction we were going in and Jim has some fantastic ideas which are close to my ideas. We are having quite a bit of fun.” But the duo’s plans for the film were about to hit a most unfortunate roadblock.
‘The Aviator’ Derailed Christopher Nolan’s Movie
With a screenplay and actor in place, it appeared that a biopic about Howard Hughes was to be Christopher Nolan’s next feature film after Insomnia. While it’s not specifically known just how far along he was in prepping the starring vehicle for Jim Carrey, complications arose when a rival project about Hughes was gaining momentum of its own. Written by John Logan, The Aviator was being developed by filmmaker Michael Mann, who ultimately passed on directing the film. Having recently explored biopic territory with 2001’s Ali, Mann didn’t want to repeat himself, opting instead to hand the directorial reins to Martin Scorsese and stay on the project as a producer.
Though the concurrent development of films about the same subject is neither very common nor unheard of, one can’t help but recognize the crushing disappointment that would surely accompany the realization that months, if not years of hard work, would suddenly be relegated to the back burner. Recalling his reaction to the film being derailed, Nolan told The Daily Beast in 2014, “I was definitely like, ‘Fuck!’ I think it’s the best script I’ve ever written, and I had a really wonderful experience writing it. Yeah, it was a frustrating experience that the other movie got going.” But every crisis is an opportunity. With his film about Howard Hughes seemingly dead in the water, Christopher Nolan would pivot and commence work on a new project that paved the way for one of modern cinema’s most beloved trilogies.
Christopher Nolan Captures Howard Hughes Spirit in His Other Films
Though his project remains in limbo and may never be resurrected, Christopher Nolan has tipped his hat to Howard Hughes via Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Trilogy. In particular, The Dark Knight Rises draws obvious comparisons between the two men. The early portion of the film sees the billionaire removed from society, living as a recluse in self-imposed exile and leaving the public to speculate about his condition. A not so subtle reference to Hughes comes in the form of a character joking that Bruce Wayne has “eight-inch nails” and is “peeing into Mason jars.”
But the central figure of Nolan’s next film, the highly anticipated Oppenheimer, is arguably his protagonist that most reflects the legacy of Howard Hughes. A man of tremendous intellect and innovation who helped blaze a new technological trail, J. Robert Oppenheimer, like Hughes, would also leave an indelible mark on history and wrestle with personal demons in his later years. While it’s unclear just how long Nolan has wanted to make a film about Oppenheimer, there are clear parallels between the physicist’s story and that of Hughes, so perhaps it’s fitting that the filmmaker’s first venture into biopic territory would focus on an American pioneer whose impact on the world is alive and well today.
Will Christopher Nolan Ever Revisit His Howard Hughes Film?
While it’s been 19 years since The Aviator hit theaters and nabbed five Oscars, and with Hollywood’s tendency to revamp characters and stories in increasingly short order, Christopher Nolan appears no closer to bringing his film to the screen. As one of modern cinema’s most acclaimed filmmakers, possessing a level of creative influence and autonomy that’s nearly unparalleled, it’s rather likely he could dust off his script and get it made with little resistance from the powers that be. Commenting on the possibility of eventually realizing his vision, he’s said, “Will I revisit it? I have no idea. I wouldn’t necessarily rule it out, but I wrote it a long time ago.”
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