Did Christopher Nolan Steal Inception's Coolest Moment From High School Musical?
Are "Inception" and "High School Musical 3" connected?
Christopher Nolan is, arguably, one of the most prolific contemporary directors. Some of Nolan's most popular and memorable films include "Interstellar" and "Inception," large-budget, high-concept sci-fi flicks with daring ideas and even bolder execution. The latter even scored half a dozen Oscar nominations, making "Inception" one of Nolan's most beloved and iconic films. Filled with big, complex ideas and heart-pounding sequences, "Inception" stands out as one of the most original films from the 2010s. But did the auteur take a few cues from "High School Musical 3"?
Social media thinks that Nolan copied the iconic hallway sequence in "Inception" from one of Zac Efron's emotional musical numbers in "High School Musical 3." In the sci-fi epic, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Arthur leaps from wall to wall in a dream heist sequence gone wrong. In the Kenny Ortega-directed musical, which debuted in 2008 — two years before "Inception," Efron's Troy Bolton leaps from wall to wall, singing his heart out as he reckons with the direction his future could go in. "Tfw 'High School Musical' ate so much, Christopher Nolan took notes for 'Inception,'" shared X user, formerly known as Twitter, @KuyaDenzel95.
It's a sentiment that continues to be rampant on social media, with many calling out the Oscar-nominated filmmaker for stealing from the "High School Musical" threequel. "'[H]igh school musical 3: senior year (2008) walked, so [I]nception (2010) could run," wrote X user @INCEPTl0N. Dig a bit deeper and fans will learn that both moments are likely just (hilarious) coincidences.
High School Musical 3 is just as cool as Inception
The hallway sequence is one of the most memorable moments from "Inception" to the point where it has become synonymous with the film. In true Christopher Nolan fashion, the sequence was shot without the use of CGI. While speaking with MTV News back in 2010, "Inception" director of photography Wally Pfister explained that the film's team built rotating sets that allowed actors, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to wear wires, which allowed them to leap seamlessly. "We begin with a camera that's not fixed to the set and shows a bit of the rotation, and then you quickly jump to where you're rotating with the set," Pfister discussed, explaining how it was a challenge to shoot the "Inception" sequence.
While it took a five-hundred-person crew and three weeks to film, it's up to readers to determine if Nolan's undertaking is impressive considering "High School Musical 3" did a similar sequence first. Fans of both films have been pointing out the similarities between their respective sequences for years. Back in 2020, X user @traiinspottiing went viral for sharing a video of the "High School Musical 3" scene and writing: "happy 10 years since Christopher Nolan copied this scene for 'Inception.'"
Since then, social media has made it a point to compare both projects, which is quite hilarious. Of course, leaping from wall to wall (or dancing) isn't really an "Inception" or "High School Musical 3" thing. After all, Fred Astaire did a similar shtick in the film "Royal Wedding," as pointed out by X user @JulianPowerVO. Let's also not forget how every "Spider-Man" film also tends to feature a similar sequence. Even the recently released horror-comedy "Totally Killer" features a sequence involving people "walking" on walls.