# In 2000, Christopher Nolan had a “really awful” first brush with Hollywood. Two years later, he got the last laugh

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2000-christopher-nolan-had-a-really-awful-first-brush-with-hollywood-two-years-later-he-got-the-last-laugh/
- Published: 2026-11-05T19:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T20:54:55+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/2000-christopher-nolan-really-awful-first-brush-with-hollywood/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Distributors initially rejected *Memento*.
- Newmarket Films chose to release it.
- The film’s success helped launch Nolan’s Hollywood career.

## Summary

In 2000, distributors rejected Christopher Nolan’s second film, *Memento*, at a screening in Los Angeles, with some reportedly walking out. The setback mattered because the film’s unusual, non-linear storytelling made it difficult to secure distribution, threatening the next step in Nolan’s career.

Its financier, Newmarket Films, ultimately released the film itself. Two years later, *Memento* won four of its five Independent Spirit Award nominations and earned Nolan and his brother Jonathan an Oscar nomination for original screenplay. The film grossed $43.3 million and helped establish Nolan in Hollywood; within five years, he was directing the Batman trilogy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.