split was written solely by christopher nolan
in 1982 reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor michael caine in sidney lumets suspenseful dark comedy film deathtrap based on the play by ira levin
 it was inspired by nolans experience of living in london and having his apartment burgled he observed that the common attribute between larceny and pursuing someone through a crowd was that they both cross social boundaries