Christopher Nolan Reveals Why He Didn't Release 'Dunkirk' During Oscar Season

Christopher Nolan is on the cover of the latest issue of Variety, out now.

Here’s what the 47-year-old Dunkirk director and screenwriter said:

On releasing Dunkirk mid-summer instead of at the end of the year when most Oscar contenders are released:: “We saw it as a blockbuster. It’s a strange [term] to use in relation to the subject matter, but we saw it as an entertainment, albeit one that’s intense and suspenseful. We wanted it to reach the widest audience possible, and that happens in summer.”

On how Dunkirk differs from Saving Private Ryan‘s blood-filled opening: “I needed suspense, and the language of suspense is one where you can’t take your eyes from the screen. The language of horror is one where you hide your eyes. You’re looking away. It’s a different form of tension. We constructed our set-pieces not around violence, not around blood, but around physical jeopardy.”

On his recent comments about Netflix and accused the streaming giant of trying to shut down theaters, calling its decision to forego cinemas for a straight-to-subscriber launch “mindless”: “I should have been more polite. I said what I believe, but I was undiplomatic in the way I expressed it. I wasn’t giving any context to the frankly revolutionary nature of what Netflix has done. It’s extraordinary. They need appropriate respect for that, which I have.”

For more from Christopher, head to Variety.com.