Jonathan Nolan, the co-producer and director of Amazon Prime Video's hit series "Fallout," has expressed his admiration for Bollywood, highlighting its "fearlessness, ambition" as qualities that Hollywood sometimes lacks. As anticipation builds for the second season of "Fallout," Nolan's comments have sparked a renewed interest in the intersection of Indian and Western filmmaking.
Nolan's praise for Bollywood isn't new. During a visit to India in 2024, he stated that "Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood," noting the emphasis on "practical beauty" and "stunt work" in Indian cinema. He expressed his desire to learn from the way Bollywood movies are made.
In a recent interview, Nolan elaborated on his views, pointing out the "global fascination with Indian filmmaking" and its "fearless" approach. He acknowledged that while Hollywood is capable of similar feats, Bollywood, at its best, displays a unique level of ambition that is "very exciting".
Nolan's comments come as he gears up for the release of "Fallout" Season 2. The series, based on the popular video game franchise, is set two centuries after a nuclear holocaust and explores the dystopian world that emerges. The second season sees the return of showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Filming for the second season began in Los Angeles in November 2024, a shift from Season 1's locations in New York, Utah, and Namibia. Production faced a temporary setback in January 2025 due to wildfires in California but wrapped up in May 2025. Set photos leaked during production revealed that the season would feature locations from the "Fallout: New Vegas" game, including the New Vegas Strip. A section of the Valley Plaza mall in North Hollywood was transformed to resemble the New Vegas Strip. The season will introduce new characters, with Macaulay Culkin joining the cast as a "crazy genius".
"Fallout" Season 2 premiered on December 16, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes releasing weekly until February 4, 2026. The series reunites the original cast, including Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones, and Walton Goggins.
Nolan's appreciation for Indian cinema extends beyond general admiration. He has expressed a strong interest in directing action films in Bollywood, calling the action sequences "the best action in the world". He specifically mentioned S.S. Rajamouli's "RRR" as an example of Indian cinema that has broken through in North America.
While Nolan admits that his busy schedule leaves him little time to explore new Indian films, he hopes to watch more in the future. For now, he is focused on "Fallout" Season 2, which promises to expand the scope of the series and introduce new factions from the games.
