Christopher Nolan‘s latest filmmaking rule has become one of the most talked-about details from the set of “The Odyssey,” and it has nothing to do with cameras or special effects.

Instead, the Oscar-winning director has drawn attention for banning one surprisingly ordinary fashion item, a decision he says helps actors remain fully immersed while bringing Homer’s legendary epic to life.

The conversation began when Anne Hathaway appeared on Brittany Broski’s “Royal Court,” where she was asked about Christopher Nolan’s famously disciplined productions.

Rather than discussing the scale of “The Odyssey,” Hathaway revealed one of the director’s more unexpected “commandments.”

“Thou shalt not wear Uggs,” Hathaway said, prompting laughter during the interview.

Her co-star Matt Damon followed with another claim about working with Nolan.

“Thou shalt not sit down. There are no chairs on set,” Damon joked. The actor expanded on Nolan’s dislike for Uggs, noting, “Oh yeah, that’s a good one. He hates Uggs. I think they just symbolize leisure in a way that he’s not comfortable with.”

Those remarks quickly spread online, fueling renewed interest in the filmmaker’s unconventional production style. However, the “no chairs” claim has long been disputed.

In 2020, a representative for Nolan responded to similar stories by saying the only items officially prohibited on his sets are cell phones and smoking, not chairs.

Still, Hathaway’s comment opened the door for Nolan himself to explain why something as simple as a pair of boots matters so much.

Nolan Says Modern Items Break The Illusion

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During an appearance on “CBS Mornings,” Christopher Nolan was asked directly about Anne Hathaway’s revelation.

Rather than dismissing it, the filmmaker explained that modern objects can interrupt the atmosphere actors need while performing period stories.

“The funny thing is you can be on set where you’ve got, you know, a guy holding a microphone. You’ve got a giant camera, you’ve got crew everywhere, but something like [UGGs] can actually weirdly take you out of the reality,” Nolan said per Entertainment Weekly.

He explained that the issue extends beyond footwear, noting, “There are just certain things that remind you you’re in the real world as opposed to the world we’re trying to create for the actors. I want to stay in the moment, we want the actors to stay in the moment.”

The comments fit neatly into a philosophy Nolan has embraced throughout his career.

The British filmmaker has never owned a smartphone and has repeatedly said he prefers not to use email, believing constant digital communication can become a distraction.

His productions have similarly developed a reputation for minimizing interruptions, allowing cast and crew to focus almost entirely on the work in front of them.

Christopher Nolan’s Demanding Sets Go Beyond Dress Codes

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The rules on “The Odyssey” extend far beyond wardrobe.

Earlier this year, GQ documented one of the production’s most physically demanding locations while profiling stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson.

Filming at Sicily’s Castello di Santa Caterina required actors and crew to climb roughly 900 feet to reach the set because construction crews had been unable to build an access road before production began.

Pattinson later recalled making the trek wearing sandals that matched his costume. When asked about the story on “CBS Mornings,” Nolan confirmed it was accurate.

He said per the Daily Mail, “When [Pattinson] started on the film, we were shooting at the top of a mountain a thousand feet in the air and we hadn’t been able to get any kind of road built up or anything.”

He added, “But yeah, we’re starting with this tremendous hike and then absolutely exhausted you [before starting] your day’s work.”

The difficult climb reflected another hallmark of Nolan’s productions, a willingness to work in real environments whenever possible instead of recreating locations on soundstages.

Christopher Nolan Has Built A Career On Authentic Filmmaking

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The same philosophy behind the UGG rule has shaped many of Nolan’s biggest films.

Rather than relying heavily on computer-generated imagery, he has consistently favored practical filmmaking.

“The Dark Knight” famously featured a real truck flip, “Tenet” included the destruction of an actual Boeing 747, and “Oppenheimer” relied extensively on practical effects to depict the Trinity nuclear test instead of using CGI.

Those creative decisions have become part of Nolan’s reputation, helping distinguish his work from many modern blockbusters.

“The Odyssey,” adapted from Homer’s ancient Greek poem, continues that tradition. Universal Pictures assembled one of the director’s most impressive ensembles for the movie, including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, and Mia Goth.

Nolan’s Methods Have Earned Praise From Longtime Collaborators

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Christopher Nolan’s demanding approach has become a recurring theme among actors who return to work with him.

Matt Damon, who previously collaborated with the filmmaker on “Interstellar” and “Oppenheimer,” signed on for “The Odyssey” after publicly praising Nolan’s preparation and the confidence he gives performers once production begins.

Anne Hathaway has also become one of Nolan’s most frequent collaborators, with “The Odyssey” marking their third film together after “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Interstellar.”

She has repeatedly spoken about the trust she places in the director, while Robert Pattinson returned following his acclaimed performance in “Tenet.”

That growing list of returning stars suggests Nolan’s strict rules are rarely viewed as obstacles by the people working alongside him.

Instead, many of Hollywood’s biggest names continue to embrace the immersive environment he creates, even if it means leaving modern comforts and UGG boots behind while the cameras are rolling.

Godzilla vs. Kong star Rebecca Hall shared an emotional tribute to her onscreen adopted daughter, Kaylee Hottle, following the teenager’s death at age 18.

“Devastated to hear this news. My heart goes out to your family. You will be missed, Kaylee,” Hall, 44, captioned a series of photos of herself and Hottle on the set of 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and its 2024 sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday, July 21.

Hottle played Jia, a deaf youngster who is adopted by Hall’s Dr. Ilene Andrews, in the fantasy films. Her character communicated with King Kong via sign language.

Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, told TMZ that the actress died following a car accident in Maryland in the early hours of Tuesday. He also confirmed the news to his followers on Facebook in a livestream, stating that he was flying from Texas to claim her body.

Related: Celeb Deaths of 2026: Godzilla vs. Kong’s Kaylee Hottle and More Stars

Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. The year started off with Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford’s death at age 46. At the end of the month, comedy acting icon Catherine O’Hara died at age 71. In February, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek died at age […]

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that authorities responded to a fatal single-vehicle collision in Ijamsville, Maryland, at 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that a 1995 Honda Accord, operated by a 19-year-old Frederick man, traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert,” a press release said. “Excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.”

The police department said that two passengers were in the car as well as the driver. The driver was taken to a local hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, while the other passenger declined medical assistance at the scene.

“The second passenger was identified as Kaylee Hottle, 18, of Kyle, TX,” the release said. “Hottle was transported from the scene to an area trauma center, where she was later pronounced deceased.”

Hottle was born in Atlanta and comes from a multi-generational deaf family. She was raised in Austin, Texas, and attended the Texas School for the Deaf.

As well as the Godzilla vs. Kong films, she appeared in a 2021 episode of CBS’ Magnum P.I. playing a character called Joon.

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In 2021, Hottle’s Godzilla vs. Kong costar Alexander Skarsgård revealed that he learned American Sign Language (ASL) in order to communicate with the young actress on set.

“It’s her first movie. It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director Adam [Wingard],” he told Junkee. “He’ll explain something and she’ll be like, ‘Got it, got it.’ Then she’ll just do it and everyone’s like, ‘The f*** … how did she?’”

“She’s so professional,” the actor added. “There’s so much going on on her face, her expression, and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch.”

While all eyes are on Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday coming later this year, it will be hard to top Simon Williams as the biggest breakout star of the MCU in 2026. Marvel stunned everyone with the release of the show-stopping Wonder Man on Disney+ back in January, not only reintroducing a character who has been a part of the company’s comic history since the 1960s, but also using him for a satirical exploration of Hollywood and the process behind superhero movie-making. The meta-comedy series was an instant hit with both critics and audiences, earning a Season 2 renewal and the first acting Emmy nomination in five years for the MCU for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the lead. It’ll be a while before Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest get Simon’s next chapter to the screen, but fortunately, there’s another story featuring the character that’s just wrapping up.

Marvel Comics has released the fifth and final issue of Wonder Man Vol. 4 onto store shelves, concluding prolific Deadpool writer Gerry Duggan‘s run with the character, which began earlier this year. Like the new show, it’s been one big love letter to the history of Simon Williams on the page and to Hollywood itself, as the hero picks himself from the lowest of lows to return to super-heroic stardom. That is until his old cellmate comes around, kicking off a series of events that see Simon framed for murder, starting a whirlwind romance with Hellcat, and facing down The Spot as he threatens L.A. In Issue #5, everything finally comes together for the hero, but not before Simon finally drops his terrible representation.

Accompanying the release, a new preview was shared that combines both the thrill and comedy of Wonder Man into one sequence. The pages catch up with Simon after he learns from the Avengers where Matthew Walters’ plane is heading and decides to pay an in-flight visit to the Hollywood weasel. Walters certainly isn’t expecting to see his client casually fly up beside him and ask where his old pal, Rudolph Chancellor, is. When the agent can’t give him an answer, he stops asking nicely, getting a panicked story about how Chancellor leaped out of the Cessna to his death out of sheer guilt. Unfortunately for Walters, Simon is familiar with his slimy tricks and decides on a different approach, ripping the door off and dangling Walters until he reveals the very stupid truth. Walters was a terrible investor, buying into the future of NFTs and specifically, a certain line of JPG monkeys, leading him down a path of embezzlement and murder. It’s so dumb and evil that Simon simply drops his former agent over the water, but surely he wouldn’t just let a man die without facing justice, right?

Will ‘Wonder Man’ Issue #5 Give Simon Williams His Hollywood Ending?

Much of Wonder Man #5 revolves around finally piecing together the answers to all the chaos that has taken over Simon’s life. His confrontation with Walters shows the who and the very idiotic why behind the deaths close to him, but there are still questions left to untangle about how this all happened. Among the most burning, unrelated to the series’ central mystery, is whether the will-they-won’t-they between Simon and Patsy is built to last after a run full of romantic tension. All signs are pointing to a climactic and comedic finale for Hollywood’s greatest hero. Joining Duggan for the issue is artist Phil Noto, with Marco Checchetto and Frank Martin handling the cover.

Wonder Man #5 is now out on store shelves. Check out a sneak preview of the issue in the gallery above.

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Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

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Network

Disney+

Writers

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Andrew Guest, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman

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Video game fans have had plenty of massive projects to dive into this year, including a new James Bond game, 007 First Light, and one of the most anticipated Assassin’s Creed games of all time, Black Flag Resynced. The former stars Patrick Gibson as the iconic MI6 agent, and the latter is a ground-up remake of one of the most beloved Assassin’s Creed games of all time, centered around the legendary pirate Edward Kenway. There are also a few big games coming in the second half of the year to look forward to, including Wolverine, the new Marvel game from Insomniac, developers of all three popular Spider-Man games. The biggest release of the year — and maybe even of all time — belongs to Grand Theft Auto 6, the first game from Rockstar after the colossal success of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Games based on already-established IPs, like Wolverine and James Bond, have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they give developers a chance to tap into a large fan base and add to existing lore. One game series to emerge in the last few years that has exploded in popularity is Star Wars Jedi, which centers around the young Jedi Cal Kestis, who is played by Cameron Monaghan. Respawn has put out two Star Wars Jedi games, Fallen Order in 2019 and Survivor in 2023, and while it’s been confirmed that a third game is in the works, there have been few updates on its progress in recent years. Fans of the franchise are getting a new release later this year, though, when the third chapter of the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order manga series hits shelves everywhere on December 1.

What Is ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Volume 3’ About?

Image via Blackwell’s

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The official synopsis for the new Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release reads as follows: “The multi-volume manga adaptation of the best-selling Star Wars video game continues! The saga of Cal Kestis continues in volume three of the manga adaptation of the hit video game! Haunted by tragic memories and with his lightsaber destroyed, Cal’s quest is about to test him in ways he never could have imagined. As he journeys to new planets, Cal delves into his painful past and his relationship with his deceased master [Jaro Tapal]. With striking visuals and an action-packed story, readers will be immersed in Cal’s quest like never before.” Greez, Cere, and the Mantis even feature on the cover for the new release, which is now available for pre-order before it launches on December 1.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the Star Wars Jedi franchise starring Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis.

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Released

November 15, 2019

ESRB

T

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Developer(s)

Respawn Entertainment

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Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

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