Why Hollywood press tours have become so gimmicky

This summer brought new films from Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, each heavily sold on its director’s name, and both filmmakers have been making the usual press rounds. Those appearances can yield a wealth of interviews and insights that delight movie fans; at the same time, a 60‑second video of Nolan answering rapid yes‑or‑no questions illustrated how tightly produced some of these encounters have become.

Viewers learned tidbits — he won’t retire Tarantino‑style, won’t make another superhero movie or a TV show, is fine with people watching films on phones or laptops, and would neither confirm nor deny that Interstellar is his favourite or that he’d like to make a Star Wars movie — but the format left a hollow aftertaste.

Seeing a celebrated director on a channel such as Back2FilmSchool, delivering clipped answers that he has given before in more depth, raises the question of what is being accomplished.

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