The incredibly successful and Oscar-winningInceptionmay have been more of a collaborative process between Leonardo DiCaprio and Christopher Nolan than fans know, as its leading star played a significant role in the movie’s development.DespiteInceptionbeing a sci-fi thriller at its core, it isa movie about grief and loss, but this may not have been the case if it wasn’t for DiCaprio’s input. The actor had a large part to play in the early development of the screenplay before the cameras started rolling.RELATED:Christopher Nolan Almost Didn’t Make The Dark Knight After Batman BeginsNolan owes a lot to DiCaprio. According to Tom Shone’s book “The Nolan Variations,” the actor “encouraged” and “demanded” Nolan push for a better script that leaned further away from its superficial genre and into a more “character-based direction.” According to the renowned director, DiCaprio did not write any ofInception, but he would look over the drafts and offer advice on moving forward with it, much like an editor might do for someone writing a book. Nolan adds that DiCaprio “would go over the script and come up with ideas.” It seems like DiCaprio’s input and Nolan’s rigorous attitude towards theInceptionscreenplay paid off,with possible inspiration taken from Paprika, another character-driven thriller film juggling the perceived real world and dream world.
Nolan goes on to express how much of a difference DiCaprio’s notes made in their impact onInception, even stating that the rewriting process was difficult and “went on for months and months.” DiCaprio was said to be demanding, but Nolan states that it was “very productive” and that, as a result, it made for “a more resonant film.” At the time of its release, Nolan originally wanted to makeanInceptionvideo game, with speculation of it being an MMO, hoping he could expand this idea into different media, but it did not come to fruition. Even so, the film has had a significant cultural impact, and to this day, it is still considered one of Nolan’s best films.
DiCaprio has been a huge movie star ever sinceTitanic, so it’s great to see the actor doing so much behind the scenes to make sure Nolan’s film that followed the previous release,The Dark Knight, was as good as it could be.Inception’s ambiguous ending of the top spinningcould have led to more films. However, perhaps it is better as a standalone experience that leaves the audience guessing in its final moments.
Inceptionis available on HBO Max.
MORE:One of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Best Roles Is One of His Earliest
