By 
Dunkirk director Christopher Nolan has compared Harry Style landing a part in his upcoming war drama to his initially controversial choice of Heath Ledger as the Joker.
The Dark Knight trilogy filmmaker has cast the One Direction star in the supporting role of Alex in his World War II epic, and spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the decision.
"When I cast Heath Ledger as the Joker [in The Dark Knight], it raised a lot of eyebrows and caused a lot of comment," Nolan said.
"I have to trust my instincts, and Harry was perfect for this part."
It comes after the filmmaker revealed that he didn't actually know how big Harry was when he originally auditioned for the movie.
"I don't think I was that aware really of how famous Harry was," Nolan admitted.
What to Read Next
"I mean, my daughter had talked about him. My kids talked about him, but I wasn't really that aware of it. So the truth is, I cast Harry because he fit the part wonderfully and truly earned a seat at the table."
Harry's Dunkirk co-star Mark Rylance also revealed he was unaware of the 1D singer and that his only association was through his daughter.
"She was just more excited than anything I've ever done because I was going to be acting with Harry Styles," the Oscar-winner said. "I went up in her estimation. I won the Harry!"
Previously, the film's leading star, Fionn Whitehead, told Digital Spy that fans were putting "too much emphasis" on Harry in the movie and that it should be viewed as an ensemble piece starring some of the greatest actors around.
"I think it's got a bit silly really," he said. "The meaning has got lost somewhere along the way and people have stopped realising there's an amazing cast – including Harry – but there's, you know, the creme de la creme of actors."
Dunkirk arrives in cinemas on July 21 in the US and UK.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment and tech news? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
