Christopher Nolan's next movie, Interstellar, will find Matthew McConaughey playing the lead in what could be this year's Gravity. Nolan and McConaughey both got standing ovations when they showed up for a surprise appearance at Comic-Con on Thursday to introduce audiences to the film. Here's what we learned.
1. The Story Takes Place On a Dying Earth
According to Matthew McConaughey, the people of the world are just trying to stay alive. He plays an engineer who's also a farmer. "I play Cooper. Cooper's a pilot. He's an engineer, and he's the father of two children. He's also living in a time when humanity is just trying to sustain. We need food. We need water. We don't need explorers."
2. McConaughey's Audition Was Non-Traditional
"I go meet Christopher for three hours. We didn't talk about a film or anything, and after I left I said, 'What the hell was that about?' A few days later got the script, liked it, and I was in."
3. Christopher Nolan Is Keeping His Lips Sealed
Nolan and McConaughey were both tight-lipped during their brief appearance. Nolan wouldn't even reveal many of the movie's influences for fear of giving away the movie, and McConaughey was visibly checking himself about what he could and couldn't say. Nolan kept a lot of his discussion vague and existential in nature. When asked near the end of the panel if there was anything else he could tell the audience he said, "Nothing whatsoever," and emphasized that he wanted to keep it fresh for audiences.
4. We Will See McConaughey Leave the Solar System
At the end of the panel, a brand new trailer was shown. In this new look, we see McConaughey leave the solar system, launching into space and traveling through what looks like a wormhole. He also appears to visit at least a couple different alien worlds.
5. They Took Pains to Get the Science Right
Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne was the scientific expert on set, engaging in "intense conversations" with Nolan to keep him on the right track. Nolan says he was careful not to learn "too much," because he still wanted to be able to effectively explain the concepts to non-scientists.
6. The Movie Might Be More Abstract Than What We're Being Led to Expect
Nolan says his number one influence here is 2001: A Space Odyssey, a movie famous for its abstract, deeply philosophical take on space exploration. Based on the way Nolan talks about the movie, and some of the hints in the new trailer, there's a chance they're sandbagging us with what appears to be a fairly straight-forward plot. I think there's a good chance we'll end up seeing a movie that not everyone will be happy with or understand, but will be epic all the same.
"The single biggest influence would be 2001," Nolan said. "It was such a memorable experience for me to go on that journey in that way." He calls Interstellar similar in the scope of its ambitions.
7. This Looks Like an Oscar Contender
Last year, Gravity won Alfonso Cuarón a much-deserved Oscar. Maybe space travel will be the key to Nolan finally winning an Oscar nod. The movie has this broad, epic feel that feels totally exciting. We'll see how it plays out when the movie hits theaters in November.
Here's the earlier trailer for the movie:
