‘Prestige’ author slams Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy

In a video interview with French movie site Skript, Priest talked at length about his best-selling novel and revealed he initially wanted ‘American Beauty’ helmer Sam Mendes to make a film on Prestige but took a chance on talented Nolan later.

“I’ve only ever had one meeting with him, when the film was finished. Because I wasn’t very interested in him. We all have different points of view on the world. To the world he’s this great, innovative filmmaker; to me, he was a kid who wanted to get into Hollywood,” Priest said in the interview.

The author said he had a gut feeling that Nolan would do good job in translating the book to the screen about two warring magicians.

“I think its probably his best film, with Memento. Of the films he’s made, those two are supreme,” he said.

But Priest is vocal about his dislike for Nolan’s other work, especially his decision to give psychological depth to his superhero character.

“I don’t like his other work; I think its shallow and badly written. I mean, I’ve got kids who like superheroes, and they think the Batman films are boring and pretentious. They like things like The Avengers and Iron Man because they’re fun,” he said.

“It’s a wrong move to take a superhero and give it psychological realism. There is no psychological realism. He’s a bodybuilder who jumps off buildings. I’m sorry I feel really strongly about this… To me, that’s a real major lack of judgment in Nolan, to go for superhero films. I feel this very strongly.”