What’s the plot of Tom Holland and Christopher Nolan’s new movie?

After facing a wave of online criticism, with some claiming his acting career was on a downward slope, Tom Holland has shut down the doubters in a big way. He just secured a lead role in one of Hollywood’s most anticipated upcoming projects—a new film by the legendary Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan, who snagged seven Oscars this year for his film Oppenheimer, including Best Picture, has tapped 28-year-old Holland for a lead role in a still-untitled movie. Holland shared his excitement on Good Morning America, calling it the “call of a lifetime,” even drawing comparisons to the day he first landed the role of Spider-Man nearly a decade ago. Though Holland is staying tight-lipped about the plot, Variety confirmed that the movie will hit theaters on July 17, 2026, and that filming starts early in 2025. This timing allows Holland to also reprise his role as Spider-Man, as production for Spider-Man 4 is expected to kick off by summer.

So, what’s the story behind Nolan’s next blockbuster? While both Holland and Nolan’s teams are keeping quiet on details, rumors are already circulating. According to Discussing Film, the film might be a supernatural horror set in the 1920s, revolving around vampires—a genre twist for Nolan. This potential storyline is somewhat in line with a recent vampire trend, joining films like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, set in the Jim Crow-era South, and Emily Yoshida’s GLAMOUR, which is centered around vampires reuniting after years apart. If true, Nolan could be contributing to a new vampire revival on the big screen.

Adding to the intrigue, The Hollywood Reporter speculates the film may be set in a non-modern era, possibly even in the future, fitting with Nolan’s love for themes of science and technology. Earlier this year, Nolan was rumored to be working on a remake of the 1967 miniseries The Prisoner, a story about a spy trapped in a mysterious, idealistic village. However, that project reportedly fell through after AMC released its own adaptation starring Jim Caviezel.

Rumors about the cast suggest that Matt Damon may be joining Holland in a supporting role, having collaborated with Nolan before as a Manhattan Project leader in Oppenheimer. Other frequent Nolan collaborators—like Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and Christian Bale—could also appear, given Nolan’s track record of reuniting with his favorite actors. With a script reportedly ready to go, anticipation is building around this Holland-Nolan collaboration and what surprises it might bring.