Inception | | Behind-The-Scenes Director Christopher Nolan developed Inception from a concept he had been refining for nearly a decade before pitching it to Warner Bros.. Nolan also wrote the screenplay and produced alongside Emma Thomas. Casting was finalized in 2009, with Leonardo DiCaprio signing on as lead character Dom Cobb. The ensemble included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard. Filming began in June 2009 and took place across six countries,