Washington [US], February 11 : Oscar winning director Christopher Nolan has revealed that there was one moment in Interstellar he "didn't particularly like", and that Timothee Chalamet chose to perform it his own way regardless.
The filmmaker and actor recently reunited at AMC Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles for a special IMAX 70mm screening of Interstellar, as per Variety where Chalamet interviewed Nolan ahead of the screening and described the 2014 sci-fi epic as his favourite project of his career.
"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," Chalamet told the audience, adding,"And it's remained my favorite project I've ever been in," as quoted by Variety.
Chalamet played Tom, the teenage son of Matthew McConaughey's Cooper. He has previously said he "wept for an hour" after first watching the film and discovering his role had been significantly reduced from earlier expectations.
The script, originally written by Jonathan Nolan for Steven Spielberg, centred more prominently on a father-son relationship before being reworked.
During the discussion, Nolan reflected on the film's origins, explaining that it began as a pitch from physicist Kip Thorne to Spielberg about a science-fiction story grounded in real science.
When Spielberg moved on to another project, Nolan combined his brother's script with his own ideas about time.
The director also addressed the film's mixed initial reception despite grossing USD 681 million worldwide and winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
As per Variety, he said, "The film was received in a slightly ambiguous way," noting some critics were "a bit sniffy."
However, he added that the film has grown in stature over time, with audiences increasingly connecting to its emotional core.
Recalling the filming of the emotional video-message sequence, Nolan told Chalamet there was a take where the actor struck a darker tone.
"It felt too much for me. I didn't particularly like it," Nolan said, adding, "I told you about it and you went ahead and did whatever the f-- you wanted," as quoted by Variety.
Nolan clarified that Chalamet had carefully planned his performance choices. "It wasn't about being stubborn," he said, adding that he ultimately trusted the process in the edit suite.
Over a decade later, 'Interstellar' continues to resonate, and remains, as Chalamet put it, a film that "makes me weep more than anything."