Christopher Nolan says he is 'terrified' to direct romantic comedy

Christopher Nolan says directing romantic comedy would be one of hardest challenges in filmmaking

Christopher Nolan has revealed why he is unlikely to direct a romantic comedy, saying the genre is one of the most difficult in filmmaking and admitting he would be "terrified" to take it on.

Speaking during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Oscar-winning director responded after the host joked about the possibility of a Nolan-directed rom-com.

While the filmmaker has explored a wide range of genres throughout his career, he said comedy presents a unique challenge.

"I think doing a rom-com would be incredibly difficult," Nolan told Fallon. "I love watching those movies. But, no, I think comedy, like, people who direct comedy, people who do comedy, I think that's one of the hardest things in the world to make people laugh that way."

He explained that comedy offers filmmakers little room to hide if jokes fail to land with audiences.

"Particularly the risk they take. When you make a film … you know, if I show a film to people and maybe they don't respond to bits of it, I'm like, 'Ah, they don't get it. Whatever.' There's no hiding behind that when you do comedy."

Because of that, Nolan admitted he would be "terrified" to direct a romantic comedy despite enjoying the genre as a viewer.

While he may not be planning a comedy, Nolan discussed the large-scale production behind his latest film, The Odyssey.

He told Fallon the adaptation involved thousands of crew members, filming across six countries over more than 90 days and the use of a 60-foot animatronic puppet to help bring Homer's epic to the screen using practical effects.