Even though he's only listed as an executive producer, filmmaker Christopher Nolan's fingerprints are all over the new sci-fi thriller Transcendence, the directing debut of Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister, who has shot all of Nolan's films since 2000's break-out hit Memento.

Transcendence Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'

And then there's the cast members who have worked with Nolan-Pfister before, including Rebecca Hall (The Prestige), Morgan Freeman (the Dark Knight trilogy) and Cillian Murphy (Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy). 

Of course there's also a thematic link between Transcendence and Nolan's filmography, which is full of movies that dig into the human mind. Although Transcendence never quite feels as deep as Nolan's work, it still grapples with big themes like artificial intelligence and human evolution.

More: read our full review of 'Transcendence'

Intriguingly, Nolan's brainy-gritty approach to filmmaking has also had an impact on the DC Comics universe beyond his films about Batman, as he also produced and wrote the story for Zack Snyder's 2013 Superman reboot Man of Steel and is on-board as a producer for the upcoming sequel in which Superman will share screen time with both Batman and Wonder Woman.

Meanwhile, Nolan continues to push his own boundaries, and his next film as writer-director is one of the most anticipated of the year. Interstellar comes out in November, a space-travel adventure that reunites him with both Anne Hathaway and his ubiquitous costar Michael Caine.

Watch the Transcendence trailer: