Christopher Nolan Found a Wormhole in Branding—And It’s Real Corny

Fresh off its 10 year anniversary Dec 6th, the buzz about how unbelievable Interstellar is has resurfaced. The words “best of all time” and “GOAT” have been spotted several times across social media.

So, having only ever experienced it as background noise, it was time to give it a fair viewing. Of course, I was blown away by the film itself, but I made special note early on. If you haven’t seen the film, this won’t ruin it.

Let me first just say, it’s a cinematic masterpiece, pairing mind-bending science with deeply human story. But one of the film’s most underrated triumphs doesn’t take place in space—rather in a field of corn. In a movie that explores a future where humanity is struggling to sustain itself, the choice to center the story around a dwindling crop is pretty thematically profound. But what makes it even more remarkable is how the production team turned this narrative challenge into a real-world asset—by actually growing their own corn.

The Challenge: A Future with Fewer Resources

At the heart of Interstellar is the idea that Earth is becoming uninhabitable. Crops are failing, dust storms are suffocating, and food sources are scarce. Corn is one of the last remaining viable crops, making it a symbol of survival in the film. From a storytelling perspective, this makes perfect sense—but from a production standpoint, it created a challenge. The team needed a massive cornfield for key scenes, or an airplane (also critical to the scene/story) would only have approximately 3 seconds before the scene would need to cut.

The Solution: Grow the Resource, Sell It

Instead of relying on CGI or renting a farm, Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas made a move I predict Bobby Fischer would applaud: they planted 500 acres of real corn. This decision wasn’t just about realism—it was about embracing the theme of resourcefulness that the movie itself was built on. By investing in real crops, they weren’t just creating an authentic backdrop for their story. They were actually contributing to the very resource the movie was warning about losing. When filming wrapped, they didn’t let the crops go to waste. They harvested and sold the corn, turning a necessary production expense into an actual profit. 

A Lesson in Sustainability and Smart Creativity

This is what makes Interstellar’s cornfield more than just a cool behind-the-scenes fact—it’s a perfect metaphor for the movie’s message. The film warns about the dangers of exhausting our planet’s resources, and in making it, the crew did the opposite. They didn’t take away; they added. They didn’t waste; they repurposed. And in the end, they proved that creativity, sustainability, and profitability can go hand in hand.

It’s a rare thing in filmmaking to see art mirror life so beautifully. But in Interstellar, a movie about saving humanity through intelligent use of resources, the filmmakers led by example. They showed that even in the face of limitations, innovation can create abundance. It’s not just a great movie—it’s a great lesson in how to turn challenges into advantages.

Corny or not, good branding can do the same thing.

This may be a stretch, but maybe it’s actually the perfect example of how to think about your brand.

In the last post we looked at examples set by Dove and Toms. If you’re selling shoes, is there a way to create profit by focusing on the people who don’t have them? Or what about this: Can a shoe store build a brand based on helping people avoid walking pain when picking out their shoes? (Yes/ they have). Dove, a personal care brand can choose to focus on “fixing acne” or they can focus on “love yourself”. 

Zooming out, this is what is so exciting about building a brand. You are putting something into the world, and you get to decide how to use the brand’s story for good.