Claim: Inception's cast includes Japanese actor Ken Watanabe.

Inception is a 2010 science fiction film written , co-produced , and directed by Christopher Nolan , and co-produced by Emma Thomas . The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious , and is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for a seemingly impossible task : `` inception '' , the implantation of another person 's idea into a target 's subconscious . The ensemble cast additionally includes Ken Watanabe , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Marion Cotillard , Ellen Page , Tom Hardy , Dileep Rao , Cillian Murphy , Tom Berenger , and Michael Caine .   After the 2002 completion of Insomnia , Nolan presented to Warner Bros. a written 80-page treatment about a horror film envisioning `` dream stealers '' based on lucid dreaming . Deciding he needed more experience before tackling a production of this magnitude and complexity , Nolan retired the project and instead worked on 2005 's Batman Begins , 2006 's The Prestige , and The Dark Knight in 2008 . The treatment was revised over 6 months and was purchased by Warner in February 2009 . Inception was filmed in six countries , beginning in Tokyo on June 19 and ending in Canada on November 22 . Its official budget was US$ 160 million , split between Warner Bros and Legendary . Nolan 's reputation and success with The Dark Knight helped secure the film 's $ 100 million in advertising expenditure .   Inceptions première was held in London on July 8 , 2010 ; its wide release to both conventional and IMAX theaters began on July 16 , 2010 . A box office success , Inception grossed over $ 800 million worldwide . The home video market also had strong results , with $ 68 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales . Inception opened to acclaim from critics , who praised its story , score , and ensemble cast . It won four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography , Best Sound Editing , Best Sound Mixing , and Best Visual Effects , and was nominated for four more : Best Picture , Best Original Screenplay , Best Art Direction , and Best Original Score .