‘Klaus’: The animated movie inspired by Christopher Nolan
Considered one of the best superhero movies ever made, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins combines gritty realism, compelling human drama, and comic book excitement.
Telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne, a privileged young man who, after witnessing his parents’ tragic murder, decides to face his fears and fight injustice, Nolan’s deep dive into the protagonist’s trauma, fears, and ethical dilemmas not only pushed Hollywood to rethink an entire genre but also influenced a wide range of filmmakers, including those in animation.
Before the 2000s, comic book adaptations were a mixed bag; some were faithful, others a little too campy, but they regularly lacked emotional depth. As CGI and visual effects advanced, so did audience tastes, and people wanted more from these characters. What makes Nolan’s Batman special is that he’s not just a costumed crimefighter; he’s a human being in a world that feels like ours.
Rooting an iconic character in something relatable is what made the audience identify with the playboy billionaire in a way they hadn’t seen before. This approach sparked a desire to rethink not just superheroes but also historical, fairytale, and folklore figures, including Santa Claus.
As unlikely as it may seem, director Sergio Pablos named Nolan’s Batman Begins as a direct influence on the Academy Award-nominated Klaus, which explored the origins of jolly old Saint Nick and dug into the motivations that inspired him to become the figure children around the world eagerly await on an annual basis.
“If you think of the lore of Batman, it’s really quirky and ridiculous,” the filmmaker explained to A.Frame. “So for Nolan to be able to make it something I can actually get behind; that’s what got me going. Back in the day, it was a fairly new thing to see origin stories. I was intrigued by the idea that you could expand on a character that already exists but may be missing a chapter.”
The film took nine years to complete, so long that Pablos’ own son didn’t realise his father was capable of doing anything else. “When people asked him what dad did for a living, he’d say, ‘He does Klaus‘. That’s all he knew. When we told him the movie’s done, he was like, ‘What now? What are we going to do?’ He was completely thrown off.”
Klaus may have used Batman Begins as a jumping-off point, but to illustrate just how fast Hollywood moves, by the time it eventually released in 2019, Nolan hadn’t just rounded out his trilogy with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, but Ben Affleck had played the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League, and Robert Pattinson had been cast in the lead of Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
