Chalamet Interviews Nolan About 'Interstellar' Backlash

Director discusses mixed reviews and Chalamet's defiant performance in emotional family scenes.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a reunion at an AMC theater, actor Timothée Chalamet interviewed director Christopher Nolan about the mixed critical reception to their 2014 film 'Interstellar.' Nolan acknowledged the movie "was received in a slightly ambiguous way" and that some critics found it "a bit sniffy." However, Nolan said the film's emotional family themes resonated with many individual viewers, even if the "zeitgeist" did not immediately embrace it. Chalamet also revealed how he defied Nolan's notes on one key scene, sticking to his own creative vision.

Why it matters

The discussion sheds light on the creative tensions that can arise between directors and actors, as well as how a film's initial critical reception may not reflect its lasting impact. 'Interstellar' has gone on to develop a devoted following, demonstrating the power of personal connection to overcome lukewarm initial reviews.

The details

Chalamet, who played a supporting role in 'Interstellar' as the teenage son of Matthew McConaughey's character, told Nolan he was initially excited about a larger part but was disappointed to see his role reduced in the final film. However, Chalamet said the film 'came to me at a time in life, in my career, where things were certainly not set yet' and remains his personal favorite. Nolan explained how 'Interstellar' evolved from an original pitch by physicist Kip Thorne to Steven Spielberg, before Nolan took over the project and incorporated some of his own ideas. The director acknowledged the film's mixed reviews, with one producer even describing Nolan as 'a cold guy who makes cold films.' But Nolan said the emotional family themes were central to his vision, even if the 'zeitgeist' didn't immediately embrace it.

  • In November 2014, 'Interstellar' was released in theaters.
  • Two years ago, 'Interstellar' was re-released and made $5 million.

The players

Christopher Nolan

An acclaimed film director who is known for movies like 'The Dark Knight' and 'Inception.' He directed 'Interstellar' and worked to incorporate emotional family themes into the science fiction story.

Timothée Chalamet

An Oscar-nominated actor who played a supporting role in 'Interstellar' as the teenage son of the main character. He remained passionate about the film despite his role being reduced from the original script.

Kip Thorne

A physicist who pitched the original idea for 'Interstellar' to Steven Spielberg, focusing on exploring the greater universe with real science.

Steven Spielberg

A legendary film director who worked on developing 'Interstellar' for many years before the project became available for Nolan to take over.

Jonathan Nolan

Christopher Nolan's brother, who wrote the original script for 'Interstellar' that was pitched to Spielberg.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Though my role is not enormous in 'Interstellar,' I think I was number 12 on the call sheet, this film came to me at a time in life, in my career, where things were certainly not set yet. And it's remained my favorite project I've ever been in. It's the film I've seen the most of, of all the films ever made in human history.”

— Timothée Chalamet, Actor (Variety)

“Never believe what you read online!”

— Christopher Nolan, Director (Variety)

“When you make a film on that scale... every screening we did as we were finishing the film, there would be somebody who would be in tears and deeply moved by it. That's enough. You can't also ask the culture to immediately embrace something. It's asking too much in a way. If you talk to individuals who've connected with the film in a really profound way, then you know it's there. You've done your job. The rest is about the zeitgeist and where you fit in with it.”

— Christopher Nolan, Director (Variety)

“For years, people would recognize me somewhere and talk about 'Dark Knight.' But over the last 10 years it's become 'Interstellar.' It's a wonderful thing. We re-released it two years ago and it made $5 million. It's amazing the success it's had. It's incredibly rewarding.”

— Christopher Nolan, Director (Variety)

“When you were filming the messages from home, there was a particular thing where you were hitting a dark tone. It felt too much for me. I didn't particularly like it. I told you about it and you went ahead and did whatever the fuck you wanted and carried on. But I was like, 'He knows what he wants to do and has an idea.' It wasn't about being stubborn. You had planned what you wanted to do. You planned your choices and you didn't want to abandon that on a casual whim for me. You wanted to test that and challenge that and see if I kept coming back, which I didn't. I'll find a logic to that in the edit suite.”

— Christopher Nolan, Director (Variety)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This discussion highlights the creative tensions that can arise between directors and actors, as well as how a film's initial critical reception may not reflect its lasting impact. 'Interstellar' has gone on to develop a devoted following, demonstrating the power of personal connection to overcome lukewarm initial reviews.