Christopher Nolan Came Up With Idea for 'Tenet' While Making 'Memento' Movie The director of 'The Dark Knight' trilogy reveals he developed story for his latest time-bending movie from an idea he came up with during the making of his 2000 movie. Dec 25, 2020 Memento" 20 years ago. The director has always been interested in exploring metaphysical themes in his work, and in his summer blockbuster "Tenet", John David Washington stars as a secret agent who has to embark on a time-bending mission to prevent World War III. However, Nolan reveals the initial kernel of the idea came to him two decades ago as he worked on psychological thriller "Memento" with