Exclusive: Aaron Taylor-Johnson teases new Christopher Nolan movie Tenet: "John David Washington is going to be exceptional"

(Image credit: Getty)

Christopher Nolan remains one of the few film directors around today who can command a huge budget while also keeping his projects hidden away from the outside world. With his next movie Tenet, the filmmaker is being extra secretive. Case in point: a trailer for the action thriller has been revealed to the public - but has only been seen by those film fans who saw Hobbs & Shaw in cinemas. No online release. 

Even the actors who are set to appear in Tenet are barely allowed to discuss the movie. While speaking to our sister publication Total Film, Aaron Taylor Johnson, who was promoting his new movie A Million Little Pieces, was only able to touch on the Nolan film, barely giving anything away.

"I can’t really talk about it – it’s definitely zipped shut," he said. "But [Nolan]’s extraordinary. It’s great to see him in his process. He’s a genius. It’s a really great experience and I’m super-grateful to be a part of the cast. John David Washington is just going to be exceptional. He’s phenomenal. I’m excited for people to see it. 

"I can’t really say anything else about the project, but I feel very lucky to be in a Nolan film because I love every film he’s made. And that’s all I want to do as an actor. I’m not really pushing for anything more than that. I want to observe. I want to experience. I want to be in the world of great filmmakers, and you don’t have any regrets that way. You can be in a small role. Or a big role. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter. As long as you’re grafting and learning, and I’ve got so much more to learn."

While that may not have been the most revealing answer ever, Nolan fans will surely be even more desperate to find out more about the tantalising Tenet.  

Also in this month's Total Film magazine, Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips speak at length about Joker, with Phillips also touching on how the movie has been influences by The Hangover trilogy and whether there could be a sequel. The new issue reaches store shelves on August 23.

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Freelance writer

James Mottram is a freelance film journalist, author of books that dive deep into films like Die Hard and Tenet, and a regular guest on the Total Film podcast. You'll find his writings on GamesRadar+ and Total Film, and in newspapers and magazines from across the world like The Times, The Independent, The i, Metro, The National, Marie Claire, and MindFood.