Denis Villeneuve
Steven Spielberg: Dune 2 is “one of the most brilliant sci-fi films I’ve ever seen”
Steven Spielberg also called the scene where Paul rides the sandworm as “one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Ever!” Steven Spielberg: Dune 2 Is “One of the Most Brilliant Science-Fiction Films I’ve Ever Seen” Jo Vito
HBO Max’s Dune Prequel Series to Star Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson
HBO Max’s Dune prequel series, The Sisterhood, has cast Emily Watson (Chernobyl) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter) in leading roles, Variety reports. Set 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the series is based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune. Officially titled Dune: The Sisterhood, the show was ordered to series at HBO Max in June 2019. Per the official logline, it “follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.” Watson and Henderson will portray Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen, respectively. Per the character descriptions, the sisters “have risen to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization of women who will go on to become t...
Christopher Walken Is the Emperor in Dune: Part Two
The casting process for Denis Villeneuve‘s next movie seems to be Dune just fine: Christopher Walken will lord over Part Two as the ruler of the universe himself, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The Emperor didn’t appear in the 2021 movie Dune, which covered the first half of Frank Herbert’s classic novel. But his actions were felt from the first moments, which picked up with his assigning Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) to the spice-rich desert planet Arrakis. Duke Leto brought his family along, including his son Paul (Timothée Chalamet). Joining Walken in Part Two will be Florence Pugh, who was already cast as the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler, who will portray the heir ...
Denis Villeneuve Is Already Plotting a Third Dune Movie
Denis Villeneuve has just released his new movie Dune and gotten the greenlight for the sequel, but the French-Canadian director already has some spice-y ideas to make it a trilogy. As he told The Hollywood Reporter, he hopes to base the third flick on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. “If things go well with Part Two, I could foresee the idea of maybe doing a third movie, Dune Messiah,” he said. “That would make sense to me.” The 1969 Messiah is set 12 years after 1965’s Dune. Without delving too far into spoilers — but still, minor spoilers to follow — it finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet in the films) struggling with the intersection of religion and bureaucracy, focused on his family and trying to reject his own deification. Advertisement Related Vide...
Denis Villeneuve “Would Deeply Love” to Make a James Bond Movie
If the latest James Bond film can be directed by an American, then anything is possible. Now that California native Cary Fogi Fukunaga’s No Time to Die has finally hit theaters, the door seems open for fellow US filmmakers to speculate about their own take on 007, including Denis Villeneuve. In a new interview on the podcast Happy. Sad. Confused., Villeneuve discussed his longtime dream to direct an installment in the Bond franchise, saying it would be “a privilege” and “pure cinematic joy.” “I would deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie,” the Dune director said. “It’s a character that I’ve been with since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond. It would be a big challenge to try and reboot it after what Daniel did.” Villeneuve continued to rave about Daniel Cra...
Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Claims Marvel Movies “Have Turned Us into Zombies”
Denis Villeneuve has started promoting his new film Dune, and he has thoughts on the impact the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had on audiences over the last 13 years. Speaking with the Spanish-language outlet El Mundo, Villeneuve noted that big budget blockbuster filmmaking can retain artistic merit, citing filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Curaon. “Perhaps the problem is that we are in front of too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a ‘cut and paste’ of others,” the director said. “Perhaps these types of movies have turned us into zombies a bit… But big and expensive movies of great value there are many today. I don’t feel capable of being pessimistic at all.” (English translation courtesy of Indiewire.) Villeneuve continued, “Just think of the golden age of Hollywo...
Jake Gyllenhaal and Denis Villeneuve Reuniting for HBO Limited Series The Son
Seven years after their back-to-back film work on Prisoners and Enemy, Jake Gyllenhaal and Denis Villeneuve are reuniting for new HBO limited series. Titled The Son, it’s based on Norwegian author Jo Nesbø’s 2014 bestselling novel of the same name. The forthcoming project is described as a “tale of vengeance set amid Oslo’s brutal hierarchy of corruption.” Gyllenhaal will executive produce, as well as star as Sonny Lofthus, an escaped convict and drug addict wanted by police. As TVLine reports, this marks the Oscar-nominated actor’s first series-regular TV gig. Villeneuve has signed on to direct. “Denis is a master at weaving visually exquisite and unique narratives, Jake is a gifted actor and producer whose work often traverses provocative and compelling terrain, and of course, he an...
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Gets Delayed Until Late 2021
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune practically broke the Internet last month when the epic first trailer was revealed. But now, that hype will have to stretch another year, as the sci-fi blockbuster has been delayed until October 1st, 2021, reports Collider. That’s a significantly later date than Warner Bros. originally planned, which suggests two things: executives’ hearts are set on a fourth quarter release, the pandemic isn’t loosening its grip anytime soon, or both. While a handful of North American movie theaters have been cautiously reopening in recent months, the latest increase in COVID-19 cases has caused many to shutter their doors once again. While Frank Herbert’s beloved novel and its historically troubled feature films never fared well at the box office, Villeneuve’s Dune adaption seems ...
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Gets Epic First Trailer: Watch
At long last, we have our first real look at the world of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. After much teasing and deliberation, Warner Bros. has let loose the first trailer for its star-studded epic in anticipation of its December 18th release. The trailer came packaged with a first look featuring the cast and crew that was hosted by uber fan Stephen Colbert. As you’ll see, Villeneuve has done his homework. The imagination within Frank Herbert’s iconic 1965 novel is on full display, and it appears the filmmaker may even surpass the creative heights he reached with 2017’s Blade Runner 2049. Everyone looks spectacular too, particularly Timothée Chalamet as Prince Paul Atreides. Villeneuve isn’t one to waste his star power, and it’s clear even now that this A-list cast will certainly add vivid s...
The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2020
“New year, new decade, new films, right?” That was January, back when we were still looking ahead at 2020 with blind optimism and ill-fated excitement. Sigh, hindsight is 20/20 they say, right? Who knew. At the time, we had 50 exciting new titles we were anticipating, most of which have since been either postponed, dumped to VOD, or relegated to a limbo state. It’s been an unnerving year for the film industry, to say the least. A year fraught with shutdowns, furloughs, layoffs, bankruptcies, and re-evaluations. All of that change has prompted a seismic shift in how everything’s run across the media landscape, and no one truly has a grip on things just yet. Odds are they won’t for quite some time. Because of this, anticipating anything right now — let alone anything in pop culture — seems l...
