# Syncopy Inc.
**Syncopy Inc.** (also styled Syncopy Films) is a British-American film production company founded in 2001 by the director [Christopher Nolan](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-nolan) and the producer Emma Thomas, his wife and co-producer.[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) • [2](https://www.productionlist.com/production-contact/syncopy) The company has produced or co-produced nearly all of Nolan's feature films from *Batman Begins* (2005) onward, including *The Dark Knight* trilogy, *Inception*, *Interstellar*, *[Dunkirk](https://www.edgepedia.org/dunkirk-2017-film)*, *Tenet*, *[Oppenheimer](https://www.edgepedia.org/oppenheimer-film)*, and *The Odyssey* (2026).[3](https://cineuropa.org/en/prodcompany/280438/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001, by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) |
| Name origin | A play on "syncopation," suggested to Nolan by his late father Brendan, a classical music fan[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) |
| Locations | Primary headquarters in Los Angeles, US, with a London, GB location; Production List lists the office at 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) • [2](https://www.productionlist.com/production-contact/syncopy) |
| Company profile | Privately held; 11–50 employees; specialties in production, film, and TV[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) |
| Signature films | *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012), *Interstellar* (2014), *Dunkirk* (2017), *Tenet* (2020), *Oppenheimer* (2023), *The Odyssey* (2026)[3](https://cineuropa.org/en/prodcompany/280438/) |
| Recent milestone | *The Odyssey* became the highest grossing film of Nolan's career and one of three Universal movies of 2026 to gross $1 billion globally[4](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/universal-and-syncopys-odyssey-becomes-highest-grossing-film-christopher-nolans-career) |
## Founding and name
Nolan and Thomas founded the company in 2001, the year Nolan moved into studio work after his debut *Following* (1998) and the breakout hit *Memento* (2000).[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) • [5](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/christopher-nolan-showmans-odyssey-oppenheimer) According to the company's own profile, the name Syncopy is a play on "syncopation" and was suggested to Nolan by his late father Brendan, a classical music fan.[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) Thomas, whom Nolan met at [University College London](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-college-london), has co-produced every one of his films since *Following*, making the two-person partnership at the center of Syncopy a continuous creative collaboration across his whole studio career.[5](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/christopher-nolan-showmans-odyssey-oppenheimer)
## Structure and locations
Syncopy is a small, privately held company; its LinkedIn profile lists 11 to 50 employees and identifies Los Angeles as the primary headquarters, with a second location in London.[1](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc) Industry directories describe Syncopy Films as a British film production company based in London, England, and list its US office at 4000 Warner Blvd in [Burbank, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/burbank-california), on the Warner Bros. lot.[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production-contact/syncopy) Thomas described working from the company's office at the Warner Bros. facilities in a 2018 interview, shortly before the Oscars ceremony for *Dunkirk*.[6](https://www.revistavanityfair.es/cultura/entretenimiento/articulos/christopher-nolan-mujer-emma-thomas/29175)
The company's productions are typically co-financed and distributed by a major studio. Most Syncopy films through 2020 were released by [Warner Bros. Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/warner-bros-pictures), often with partners such as Legendary Pictures or RatPac-Dune Entertainment; *Oppenheimer* (2023) was produced by Syncopy Inc. with Atlas Entertainment and distributed by [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures).[7](https://syncopyfilms.wordpress.com/film/)
## Filmography
Syncopy's credited slate centers on Nolan's films from the mid-2000s onward. Cineuropa's company page lists *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012), *Interstellar* (2014), *Dunkirk* (2017), *Tenet* (2020), *Oppenheimer* (2023), and *The Odyssey* (2026).[3](https://cineuropa.org/en/prodcompany/280438/) Database listings also credit the company on *Batman Begins* (2005), *The Prestige* (2006), *The Dark Knight* (2008), *Inception* (2010), and *Man of Steel* (2013), along with the short documentary *Quay* (2015) and the Quay Brothers short *The Doll's Breath* (2019).[8](https://loir.io/company/9996) • [9](https://www.themoviedb.org/company/9996-syncopy/movie) The company's films have drawn substantial awards recognition; FilmAffinity's profile records, for example, 48 awards and 112 nominations for *Oppenheimer* and 27 awards and 72 nominations for *Inception*.[10](https://www.filmaffinity.com/ca/name.php?name-id=284812991)
In 2025, Nolan and Thomas were named to receive a British knighthood and damehood for services to film; the Associated Press noted that Syncopy "has been behind many of their blockbusters."[11](https://apnews.com/article/6addb97d4363bbde315667e21641190d)
## The Odyssey and the move to Universal
After *Oppenheimer*'s box-office and awards success, Universal reunited with Nolan, Thomas, and their team at Syncopy for *The Odyssey*, an adaptation of Homer's epic poem.[4](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/universal-and-syncopys-odyssey-becomes-highest-grossing-film-christopher-nolans-career) The film is a mythic action epic shot across the world using new IMAX film technology, and it was the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras; production began in February 2025 in Morocco.[12](https://www.odysseymovie.ca/synopsis/) • [13](https://in70mm.com/presents/1970_imax/2026_the_odyssey/odyssey/index.htm) It was produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan for Syncopy, with Thomas Hayslip as executive producer, and stars [Matt Damon](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-damon) as Odysseus alongside [Tom Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-holland), Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, and [Charlize Theron](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlize-theron).[12](https://www.odysseymovie.ca/synopsis/) The British Council lists it as a UK–US co-production by Universal Pictures (US), Syncopy (UK), and Wildside (IT).[14](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/the-odyssey-1)
Released on July 17, 2026, *The Odyssey* became the highest grossing film of Nolan's career within its first month, and Universal counted it among three of its 2026 releases to gross $1 billion globally.[4](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/universal-and-syncopys-odyssey-becomes-highest-grossing-film-christopher-nolans-career)
## References
1. [Syncopy, LinkedIn company profile](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/syncopyinc)
2. [Syncopy, Production List](https://www.productionlist.com/production-contact/syncopy)
3. [Syncopy [UK] – Production Companies, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/en/prodcompany/280438/)
4. [Universal and Syncopy's 'The Odyssey' Becomes the Highest Grossing Film of Christopher Nolan's Career, NBCUniversal](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/universal-and-syncopys-odyssey-becomes-highest-grossing-film-christopher-nolans-career)
5. [Christopher Nolan: a showman's odyssey, Sight and Sound (BFI)](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/christopher-nolan-showmans-odyssey-oppenheimer)
6. [Emma Thomas, la mujer de Christopher Nolan, Vanity Fair España](https://www.revistavanityfair.es/cultura/entretenimiento/articulos/christopher-nolan-mujer-emma-thomas/29175)
7. [Film – Syncopy Films Inc.](https://syncopyfilms.wordpress.com/film/)
8. [Syncopy, Loir](https://loir.io/company/9996)
9. [Movies produced by Syncopy, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/company/9996-syncopy/movie)
10. [Syncopy Production, FilmAffinity](https://www.filmaffinity.com/ca/name.php?name-id=284812991)
11. ['Oppenheimer' director Christopher Nolan and wife Emma Thomas to get British knighthood and damehood, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/6addb97d4363bbde315667e21641190d)
12. [The Odyssey – Synopsis, official website](https://www.odysseymovie.ca/synopsis/)
13. ["The Odyssey" Production Information, in70mm.com](https://in70mm.com/presents/1970_imax/2026_the_odyssey/odyssey/index.htm)
14. [British Council UK Films Database: The Odyssey](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/the-odyssey-1)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen production organizations › Production companies and industry people › Independent production companies › American and Canadian companies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license