The British director's new movie, Tenet, is a spy thriller, produced by Warner Bros., and the first movie on this scale to be shot in the Baltic States, BNS reports.

The film stars John David Washington (Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman), with a strong supporting cast including legendary British actors Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh, as well as Robert Pattinson, most famous for playing Edward Cullen, in the Twilight series of movies.

Other cast members include Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Vita and Virginia), Dimple Kapadia (Kaash, Drishti), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Anna Karenina, Outlaw King) and Clémence Poésy (In Bruges, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).

Additionally, thousands of residents are set to be taking part as extras in the filming, which will take place at various locations in the city, through the summer.

Nolan said he chose Tallinn due to its unique locations and architecture, suggesting that at least some of the filming will take place in the Old Town.

"That Christopher Nolan's project is materializing in Tallinn is a recognition of the great work and development of the Estonian creative industry sector in recent years," President Kersti Kaljulaid said of the news.

"On the one hand, film production on this scale arriving here in Estonia definitely gives us an impetus, and a lot of new experience to our local actors, while on the other, it offers an opportunity to introduce Estonia, and hopefully paves the way for more larger film projects to come here, as well," she continued.

"We are extremely glad to welcome Christopher Nolan's film to Estonia," added Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas (Isamaa).

"Since local people will also be involved, a lot of experience will be left behind in Estonia [after the movie finishes]," he added.

Filming is also to take place in six other countries, according to BNS.

Tenet is due for release in July 2020.

While the 2008 movie Defiance, set during World War Two and starring Daniel Craig, was filmed near Vilnius, Lithuania, Tenet looks set to be the biggest international movie to be filmed in Estonia to date.

The 1979 Andrei Tarkovsky sci-fi classic Stalker, was principally filmed at two abandoned hydro power plants on the Jägala river, near Tallinn.

Christopher Nolan, 48, from London, is noted as something of an auteur-type filmmaker. His ten major movies have garnered 34 Oscar nominations, with 10 wins.