Christopher Nolan has said he would be "terrified" to direct a romantic comedy, calling comedy directing "one of the hardest things in the world" during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The two-time Oscar winner made the comments while promoting his latest film, The Odyssey, explaining that comedy leaves a director with nowhere to hide if audiences fail to respond, unlike other genres where a lukewarm reaction can be brushed off.

Nolan told Fallon he loves watching rom-coms but finds the craft of making people laugh uniquely unforgiving, since a poor audience reaction to comedy is unmistakable in a way it isn't for drama or other genres. The remarks come as The Odyssey, his adaptation of Homer's epic starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland among a large ensemble cast, has already passed $600 million at the global box office.