[instiz] THE THINGS THAT CHRISTOPHER NOLAN BANS ON THE FILMING SET

August 13, 2026

1. Phones

2. UGG boots

He thinks that “objects symbolizing modernity” hinder the actors’ immersion. It is said that Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt from Oppenheimer and Odyssey were personally pointed this out.

3. Plastic water bottles
He thinks the noise of plastic bottles being crushed is disruptive. The actors, in particular, mentioned frequently during the filming of Dunkirk that it is an item that is strictly restricted

4. Smoking

It’s said that a lot of observations mentioned they’re banned from smoking

5. Frequent bathroom breaks

Rather than an outright ban, this is something Nolan dislikes; Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. have personally mentioned that he “doesn’t really like us going to the bathroom.” Nolan himself reportedly only goes twice a day during filming (at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM)

6. Strict limitation on frequent monitoring

The intention is to minimize the practice of actors checking the footage they have just shot on a monitor, thereby maintaining their immersion

7. Chairs

Recently, the cast of Odyssey stated in an interview that they “rarely see Nolan sitting down.” Strong suspicions are being raised, especially since Anne Hathaway mentioned in 2020 that “there is no chair,” and a photo of Robert Pattinson in the same spot has been shared

1. I bet the actors are having a hard time..

2. That’s way stricter than I thoughtㅋㅋㅋㅋ

3. Wow even washroom breaks;;ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

4. The UGGs one is quite specific..

5. Can they at least go to the washroom…

6. This is better than you think. When you’re working, you might think he’s over controlling over the trivial things, but it really makes a difference when you look back and see the results

7. It’s not like he’s banning washroom breaks, it’s just that he personally doesn’t like going to the washroom often…

8. But when you’re truly deeply focused, you don’t even look at your phone, stay seated, and don’t even go to the bathroom

9. Given that it’s a film by director Nolan, the pay and the level of attention would be on another level, so that amount seems understandable

10. It’s fascinating that they actually ban things that might break your focus. I mean, considering they’re getting paid tens of billions of won, they really ought to be able to stick to a rule like that. If I were getting paid that kind of money, I’d say “okay” even if they told me I had to hike up a mountain just to fetch water to drink