Christopher Nolan is unlike to work with Warner Bros. on his next project, according to a new report.

• Read More: ‘Tenet’ review: time-travelling thriller from the king of cerebral blockbusters

Nolan was one of several industry figures who criticised the studio for their decision to release their entire slate of 2021 movies simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max.

Now, in a new article in the Wall Street Journal, a source reportedly “connected to the matter” has claimed Nolan is said to be so disappointed with their “hybrid distribution strategy” that he looks set to bring their 18 years of collaborating together to a close.

The Wall Street Journal wrote: “After spending years as a top Warner Bros. director, Christopher Nolan, who wrote and directed last year’s Tenet, is unlikely to return to the studio with his next project, in part because he was disappointed with the studio’s hybrid distribution strategy for 2021, according to people familiar with the matter.

NME has reached out to Nolan’s representative for comment.

The move to split the releases across a cinematic and digital platform was made late last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic’s severe impact on the stability of the traditional theatre-first release model.

In an interview with ET at the time, Nolan called the move “very, very, very, very messy,” aiming his criticism at the apparent suddenness of the announcement.

“There’s such controversy around it because they didn’t tell anyone,” he said. “In 2021, they’ve got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they’ve got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences.”

Nolan added: “They’re meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences… And now they’re being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service – for the fledgeling streaming service – without any consultation. So, there’s a lot of controversy. It’s very, very, very, very messy. A real bait and switch.”

A separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter saw Nolan going even further with his criticism – calling HBO Max the “worst streaming service”.

“Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” said Nolan.

He added: “Warner Bros had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere, both in theatres and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak. They don’t even understand what they’re losing.

“Their decision makes no economic sense and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.”

Nolan’s Tenet was one of the only films to be released in cinemas last summer.