Did Christopher Nolan Buy and Crash a Boeing 747 for ‘Tenet’?

For ‘Tenet’, Christopher Nolan went all out and crashed a real Boeing 747 rather than depending on computer-generated imagery or shrinking it to tiny replicas. Why? Remarkably, purchasing and destroying a real jet was less expensive than staging the scene. Nolan clarified that after doing the math, the most cost-effective course of action was to buy and use a full-sized aircraft for the sequence.
The plane was taken from a California location that had extra aircraft, and Nolan created an incredible show with the assistance of production designer Nathan Crowley and special effects specialist Scott Fisher. The outcome was a huge, tremor-shaking smash that left even the cast speechless. ‘Tenet’ star Robert Pattinson acknowledged that the decision’s scope astounded him, describing it as “so bold to the point of ridiculousness.”
The team found it both unbelievable and unforgettable to watch a genuine 747 being destroyed while filming. Although it can seem excessive, this is typical of Nolan’s filmmaking approach. Previously, Nolan, who is well-known for his passion for practical effects, flipped a truck on a city street in ‘The Dark Knight’, made the famous rotating hallway in ‘Inception’, and even sent an IMAX camera into space for ‘Interstellar’.
Image Courtesy: Business Insider
And just when it looked like he couldn’t go much better, Nolan gave ‘Oppenheimer’ a CGI-free recreation of the first nuclear explosion ever. As he explained, the Trinity test scene was a huge task, but it adhered to his desire for realistic, in-camera effects.
Ultimately, with his daring stunts and avant-garde images, Nolan is reinventing blockbuster filmmaking, not just directing films.
–Farheen Ali