Nolan Blew Up A Jet Instead Of Using VFX To Cut Costs

“I planned to do it using miniatures and set-piece builds and a combination of visual effects and all the rest,” Nolan told Total Film. “We started to run the numbers... It became apparent that it would actually be more efficient to buy a real plane of the real size, and perform this sequence for real in camera, rather than build miniatures or go the CG route.”

Nolan said they discovered old planes while looking for locations in California, and then bought one impulsively. 

“You wouldn’t have thought there was any reality where you would be doing a scene where they just have an actual 747 to blow up,” said Robert Pattinson.

Previously, when filming Dunkirk the director used real Spitfires and a Spanish-manufactured HA-1112 Buchón for some of the film's scenes. The director reportedly had plans to crash an antique plane during one of the scenes, but then they decided to use replicas.

What do you think about this move? Doesn't the whole story sound kind of bizarre? Discuss the news in the comments.