Denis Villeneuve Is Ready to Go Back to Arrakis, But Just One More Time
Denis Villeneuve has pulled off a rare feat with Dune: Part Two, making a sequel that surpasses the first film. The director continues his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, bringing back Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Josh Brolin. This time, they’re joined by Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux.
The movie feels larger and more personal, blending thrilling action with deep emotion. Villeneuve has created a film that’s both visually stunning and emotionally gripping.
Talking to TheWrap, Villeneuve revealed that he wanted to ramp up the action in this installment. He explained that Part One focused on a young boy discovering a new world, but Part Two follows his transformation into a leader, with more intense and fast-paced scenes.
The first Dune movie in 2021 was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Cinematography, Production Design, Score, and Visual Effects. It’s even more remarkable considering how many filmmakers struggled to adapt Herbert’s story after David Lynch’s 1984 version flopped.
Villeneuve also highlighted the humor in the film, particularly through Javier Bardem’s character, Stilgar. Humor was key to making Stilgar relatable and showing the cultural differences between him and Paul Atreides, played by Chalamet:
Something I haven’t heard you talk about is how funny “Dune: Part Two” is.
I’ve been talking about this movie for a year, and it’s true that not a lot of people mentioned that. The story is pretty dark, and it was important for me that the audience love Stilgar (Javier Bardem) — that they have empathy and they will want to get familiar [with] and embrace that character’s point of view.
Not embrace, maybe, but get closer to him. In order to increase the empathy for this character, one way is humor, feeling that he has a candor that brings liberty. It’s something that Javier beautifully embodied. What is nice is to see the balance between Stilgar’s candor and the way Paul Atreides, played by Timothée, perceives Stilgar as strange. It’s about culture shock, which I think is always a good territory for humor.
One standout action scene involves Paul and the rebels taking down a massive Harkonnen machine. Villeneuve described the challenges of filming such a sequence in the desert and emphasized the importance of using natural light to enhance realism.
He worked closely with cinematographer Greig Fraser to make sure every detail was clear and the action felt grounded.
For Villeneuve, clarity in action scenes is crucial. He believes that clear storytelling heightens tension, and he focuses on making sure viewers always know who is where during the action. He carefully storyboarded scenes to keep everything clear and engaging.
Reflecting on the project, Villeneuve shared his surprise at still feeling inspired by the world of Dune. Even after completing Part Two, he’s eager to return to Arrakis and explore more stories, particularly Dune: Messiah:
Looking back on the experience of ‘Dune,’ what strikes you the most?
When I saw “Part Two” finished, finally, I realized that that was it. I’d done it. I’d done an adaptation of “Dune.” And that is something that is an incredible privilege. I’m very grateful to have the chance to have done it. I think my biggest surprise about this is that I don’t want to run away from Arrakis.
I’m still inspired to go back. That’s the thing that I was the most surprised by. I felt that after “Part Two,” I would need a break. I thought that I would want to go write a few films or do a couple of things before going back to “Dune: Messiah.” But the images that kept coming back to my mind, the appetite is absolutely intact. That’s the biggest surprise. I still want to go back to Arrakis.
Just one more time.
Yes. After that, it would become unhealthy.
Source: TheWrap
It’s clear that Dune has left a lasting impression on Villeneuve, and he’s not ready to leave the desert just yet.
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