Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free
Every year, Comic-Con is packed full of surprises and, two days in, the 2014 event is proving no different.
The latest surprise to thrill pop culture fans came in the form of Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey , who rocked up to promote forthcoming sci-fi movie Interstellar
Oscar-winning lead actor McConaughey entered the fray to cheers on Thursday, before responding with his trademark “Alright, alright, alright” and introducing Nolan to the stage.
Known for The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception , the 43-year-old director made his debut at the festival in front of more than 6,000 fans.
The pair showcased the new trailer for Interstellar, about an engineer who joins forces with researchers and astronauts before embarking on a scientific mission to save the world after climate change threatens to destroy us.
Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain also star.
Details of the storyline remain under wraps, but Nolan spoke a little about theoretical physicist and executive producer Kip Thorne, whose studies of relativity and time travel inspired the epic.
“For me, in working on the script, there were a lot of very intense conversations with somebody who is much better informed than me,” he said.
“It actually made my head hurt a bit. I actually said to Kip, ‘Well, I don’t want to understand this stuff too much because I have to be able to explain it to the audience.”
Nolan is a long-time sci-fi enthusiast, having grown up “amazed” by the likes of Star Wars
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for free He describes Interstellar, due for UK release on 6 November, as being “about human beings, and what it means to be human, and what our place is in the universe”.
Show all 30 1 /30Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Jack Black attends Sony Pictures Entertainment's "Goosebumps" and "Pixels" panel with Jack Black during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Matthew McConaughey attends the Paramount Studios presentation during Comic-Con International 2014 at the San Diego Convention Center
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A woman dressed as the character Katniss Everdeen from the movie, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," poses in front of Comic-Con in San Diego
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Piper Rhodes (R) and Rosana Olson joke with a creation from Legacy Effects, behind, during Comic-Con in San Diego
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Jill Olsen (R) has her picture taken inside a giant cocoon, from the "Falling Skies" TV series, during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Allie Shaughnessy, who is dressed as Mystique, during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Lori Ouellette, of Cheshire, Connecticut, portrays The Red Queen with the group, League of Hatters, during the 45th annual San Diego Comic-Con in San Diego, California. An estimated 130,000 attendees are expected at this year's convention, which will celebrate the 75th anniversary of both Marvel Comics and the first Batman comic book
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 David Urias (42) and his son Frank Urias (14) both from Tucson, Arizona wear Mexican wrestling masks on the opening day of Comic-Con 2014 in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Benedict Cumberbatch attends DreamWorks Animation Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actress Odeya Rush attends the "The Giver" Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Jeff Bridges attends the "The Giver" Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor John Malkovich attends DreamWorks Animation Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Jim Parsons attends the DreamWorks Animation presentation during Comic-Con International 2014 at the San Diego Convention Center
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Christine and Justin Skolek walk outside during Comic-Con, in San Diego
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Matt Rogers, dressed as Captain America, rides the escalator up on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held in San Diego
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A fan prepares for Comic Con in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 People enjoy the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A fan dressed as Superman attends the Comic Con in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A fan enjoys the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 People enjoy the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A costumed man who gave his name as Nomad walks outside of the San Diego Convention Center during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Girls on roller skates prepare for Comic Con in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actors Clare Grant and Seth Green attend Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Lucas Till attends Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actress Sarah Wayne Callies attends Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actress Tiya Sircar attends Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actress Vanessa Marshall attends Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Clark Del Rosario (5) from San Diego dressed as the Batman villain character, The Joker, attends the preview evening event at Comic-Con 2014 in San Diego, California. Behind him are his parents, Lester and April Del Rosario
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Kelly O'Hara (33) from Detroit, takes a selfie with a statue of Batman during the preview evening event at Comic-Con 2014 in San Diego, California
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Emily Reeve (18) from San Diego, dressed as a 1950s pop art housewife, attends preview evening event at Comic-Con 2014 in San Diego, California
McConaughey was kept in the dark about the plot of Interstellar for as long as possible. “I got a call from my agent who said Christopher Nolan has a film and he wants to meet,” he told Comic-Con.
The Dallas Buyers Club star visited Nolan’s house for dinner but “three hours went by and he didn’t say anything about a new film or me having a role”.
“Then a week later, the script came,” he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies