Well. Nobody saw this coming! We knew that Christopher Nolan’s next movie would have a home at Universal. We know that July 2026 is the pencilled-in date for release, and that the shoot starts early next year.
We heard the rumors that Matt Damon is wanted for the lead.
Most of the speculation was around exactly what genre this would be in. It was said to be something of a departure for Nolan. First of all, people suspected he might make a horror movie. Then there was talk of it being his long-gestating passion project, a remake of the 1960s UK television show The Prisoner.
The rumors did say to expect something maybe lighter and more action-orientated than his recent efforts. Now, a report has surfaced online that is actually gaining traction. As reported by the ever-reliable Dark Horizons, Nolan’s next effort takes a somewhat surprising inspiration from… Blue Thunder.
Which Blue Thunder? There are two versions. There is the lighthearted TV show that aired on ABC from January 6 until April 16, 1984. This featured none other than a young Dana Carvey, and Police Academy’s Bubba Smith in a supporting role.
This was based on the original John Badham movie and re-used most of the footage from that movie. This original movie was a much darker story of government overreach and the surveillance state, centered on a tactical helicopter, featuring a Vietnam veteran hero with PTSD, and co-lead characters being murdered in cold blood by shadowy government assassins. Over time it has come to be quite well-regarded.
So Nolan is remaking that? Well, not exactly…
According to the rumor, Nolan and his team have been in touch with the NYPD Aviation Unit about shooting in New York. The project? A futuristic action film about a helicopter pilot cop who heads up the Aviation Unit. He finds himself involved in a plot around an advanced helicopter prototype that is being pursued by terrorists.
An advanced prototype potentially stolen by terrorists is closer to the plot of the pilot-episode of Airwolf.
The reports say that Nolan is not yet sharing his screenplay, but has instead been sending his assembling crew high-quality copies of the Roy Scheider-led original movie.
World of Reel has subsequently confirmed that it is not a remake of Blue Thunder, but it is Nolan’s inspiration as he is a fan of the movie.