Production History (The Prestige) The Prestige

Christopher Priest's novel reached Nolan through admiration for Memento

Christopher Priest was impressed with Nolan's Following and Memento, and producer Valerie Dean brought the novel to Nolan's attention. In October 2000, while in London publicizing Memento, Nolan read the book and shared the story with his brother Jonathan while walking through Highgate -- a location that later appears in the film. The Nolans' collaboration reversed their Memento dynamic, in which Jonathan had pitched his story to Christopher during a road trip. (wikipedia, joblo)

The screenplay took five years of intermittent work

Aaron Ryder of Newmarket Films purchased the option on the novel in 2001. By late that year, Nolan was consumed with Insomnia post-production and asked Jonathan to begin drafting the script. The writing process continued intermittently for five years, interrupted by Batman Begins. Nolan had initially planned to make The Prestige as early as 2003 but postponed after committing to the Batman franchise.

"It took a long time to figure out how to achieve cinematic versions of the very literary devices that drive the intrigue." — Christopher Nolan, Variety (2006) (wikipedia)

The screenplay made two major changes from the novel: removing the spiritualism subplot and replacing the modern-day frame story with Borden's trial and execution. Priest approved both changes:

"An extraordinary and brilliant script, a fascinating adaptation of my novel." — Christopher Priest, (wikipedia)

The brothers finished the final shooting draft on January 13, 2006 -- three days before production began. (wikipedia)

Nolan cast the leads for opposing qualities

Following the release of Batman Begins, Nolan negotiated with Jackman and Bale in October 2005. Jackman was cast for his magnetism and understanding of live performance; Bale for his intensity and discomfort with spectacle. The personality difference between the actors mirrored their characters: Jackman, a theater performer, embodied the showman; Bale, who rarely performs on stage, played the craftsman. (joblo)

"I don't think of actors when writing a script, I think of the characters." — Christopher Nolan, Empire (2006)

"After seeing him he did ask which I preferred and I said Angier was probably better suited to me." — Hugh Jackman, Empire (2006)

Nolan flew to New York to beg David Bowie to play Tesla

For the role of Nikola Tesla, Nolan sought someone "of extraordinary charisma and just a strange aura." He saw Tesla as "the origin of the myth of the mad scientist" and wanted an actor who could embody otherworldly genius. His first and only choice was David Bowie.

"I just picked up the phone and called David Bowie's agent. He immediately, of course, said no." — Christopher Nolan, Entertainment Tonight (2016)

Nolan flew to New York and pitched the role in person. Bowie accepted within minutes. The director described Bowie's on-set presence as unlike anything he had experienced:

"He had a level of charisma beyond what I normally experience, and everyone really responded to it -- I'd never seen a crew respond to any movie star that way." — Christopher Nolan, Entertainment Tonight (2016)

Nathan Crowley built the film in Nolan's garage

Production designer Nathan Crowley began set design while the screenplay was still being written, working in Nolan's garage with what he called a "visual script" -- scale models, images, drawings, and notes. Crowley and his crew searched Los Angeles for approximately 70 locations that could stand in for fin de siecle London.

Four Broadway theater district locations served as the magicians' venues: the Los Angeles Theatre, the Palace Theatre, the Los Angeles Belasco, and the Tower Theatre. Crowley noted these buildings "haven't been touched since the '20s and '30s" and offered "Victorian style" architecture with "realism and rawness." He also transformed a Universal back lot into Victorian London and used Osgood Castle in Colorado. (joblo, wikipedia)

Nolan built only one set from scratch: the under-stage section housing the machinery that makes the larger illusions work. Jonathan Nolan visited Colorado Springs to research Tesla's actual experiments and based the electric-bulb scene on real demonstrations Tesla conducted there. (wikipedia)

Wally Pfister shot 75 percent of the film handheld

Cinematographer Wally Pfister, collaborating with Nolan for the fourth time, made the unconventional decision to shoot a period film primarily handheld. He operated the camera himself throughout nearly the entire production:

"75% of that film is handheld, and even shots that are on a crane, I'm handholding the camera." — Wally Pfister, No Film School

The approach was deliberate -- Pfister wanted an "interactive perspective" that placed the audience alongside the characters rather than observing them from a distance. He drew visual inspiration from painters Vermeer and Caravaggio, and cited Gordon Willis as his hero for minimalist lighting:

"Willis was never afraid not to use a light... he's my absolute hero." — Wally Pfister, No Film School

For lighting, Pfister used practical sources reflecting the period -- gas lamps, candles, overhead soft boxes -- and gradually introduced electric fixtures in theater scenes. Some scenes relied entirely on natural daylight with no supplementary lighting. The efficiency of the handheld approach allowed scenes to unfold in longer takes, giving actors more freedom and finishing production three days ahead of schedule. (nofilmschool)

Nolan granted Pfister unusual creative autonomy:

"Chris never told me who to follow or where to point the camera. Instead, he told me, 'Go with your gut.'" — Wally Pfister, No Film School

Ricky Jay and Michael Weber designed the magic sequences

Real-life magician Ricky Jay and magic consultant Michael Weber trained Jackman and Bale, but only taught what was needed for each shot. The actors were deliberately kept ignorant of broader technique. This was a creative choice -- it meant the actors' performances of magic carried the same kind of incomplete knowledge their characters possess.

"We didn't learn as much as you'd think... I couldn't show you anything." — Hugh Jackman, JoBlo (2006)

David Julyan scored the film in three movements

Composer David Julyan, who previously worked with Nolan on Following, Memento, and Insomnia, structured the soundtrack to mirror the film's three-part magic trick framework: the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige. Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's song "Analyse" plays over the closing credits -- a choice Christopher Priest later criticized as tonally jarring. (wikipedia)

Production timeline

Date	Event
October 2000	Nolan reads Christopher Priest's novel during Memento publicity tour
2001	Newmarket Films purchases option; Jonathan Nolan begins screenplay
2003	Project postponed for Batman Begins
October 2005	Nolan negotiates with Jackman and Bale
January 13, 2006	Final shooting draft completed
January 16, 2006	Principal photography begins
April 9, 2006	Principal photography wraps
September 22, 2006	Editing, scoring, and mixing complete
October 17, 2006	Premiere at El Capitan Theatre
October 20, 2006	Wide release (US)