Christopher Nolan to lead Directors Guild of America

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Christopher Nolan has been elected to lead the Directors Guild of America, the organization said late Saturday. The Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” filmmaker said in a statement that it is, “one of the greatest honors of my career.”

The guild represents the interests of some 19,500 film and television directors in the United States and abroad, in addition to hosting the DGA awards annually.

“Our industry is experiencing tremendous change, and I thank the Guild’s membership for entrusting me with this responsibility,” said Nolan, a well-known champion of the theatrical experience and film stock.

The box office success of “Oppenheimer,” which was shot entirely on large-format film ( a combination of 70mm and IMAX ), and made over $976 million worldwide made many in the industry reconsider the mass audience appeal of a format that not too long ago was in danger of extinction. Just over a decade ago, facing bankruptcy and an industry that seemed to be migrating to digital, Kodak nearly stopped film production. Filmmakers like Nolan, Martin Scorsese and others rallied to keep it going. Earlier this year, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” helped prove the point again.

Nolan will take over for outgoing president Lesli Linka Glatter, who led the group for four years through the Hollywood strikes of 2023. He said he looks forward to collaborating with Glatter and the board “to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.”

The DGA’s current three-year basic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of studios and streamers about rates and benefits, expires next year. The AMPTP congratulated Nolan in a statement and wrote that they “look forward to partnering with President Nolan to address the issues most important to DGA members while ensuring our member companies remain competitive in a rapidly changing industry.”

Officers elected to serve alongside Nolan include Ron Howard, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Laura Belsey and former president Paris Barclay. Among the board members are Steven Spielberg and Phil Lord.

Since its founding in 1936 when it was then known as the Screen Directors Guild, presidents have included the likes of Frank Capra, George Stevens, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Robert Wise, Michael Apted and Martha Coolidge.

Nolan has been a member since 2001 and has served on the DGA’s National Board and Western Directors Council since 2015, in addition to chairing the guild’s theatrical creative right and artificial intelligence committees. He won the guild’s top prize in 2024 for “Oppenheimer,” and was previously nominated for “Dunkirk,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight” and “Memento.”

Nolan’s next film, a starry adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” opens in theaters July 17.