Denis Villeneuve thinks that “Dune part 2” is on the right track even if he has doubts

Denis Villeneuve has no doubts, he will be able to give his adaptation of Dune the sequel it deserves, despite the difficulties encountered with the first part. Indeed, the successive postponements of release caused by the pandemic ended up pushing Warner to opt for a hybrid solution, with a simultaneous launch in theaters and on HBO Max at the start of the school year. Foolishness for the filmmaker who, beyond considering that his film has nothing to do on the small screen, is well aware that the box office results will be heavily impacted by this maneuver.

Nevertheless, Denis Villeneuve remains convinced that he will be able to finish his work for the simple reason that he has agreed to tackle the juggernaut of Frank Herbert on the condition of doing it in two parts.

Lift the curse

Somewhere, Denis Villeneuve considers himself invested with a mission, that of breaking the curse that has pursued all attempts to adapt Dune At the movie theater. “We have heard for decades that it is impossible to adapt this book, that it is an insurmountable task. I think this idea stays somewhere in the head of the studio, ”he conceded during an interview with Total Film.

Nevertheless, he believes he has completed the project. “The first thing was to prove that there was a great, popular movie that could exist, and I believe I proved that – everyone at Warner Bros and Legendary is 100% behind the project. They believe that it would take very poor box office results for there to be no Dune : Part Two, because they like the movie. They’re proud of it, so they want the movie to continue. And they still made half of it. So, you know, I’m very optimistic, ”he adds.

Before Denis Villeneuve, Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch broke their teeth on Dune. The adaptation project launched by the director ofThe mole in the 70s never made it past the pre-production stage, while the father of Twin Peaks has always reneged on his 1984 film with Kyle MacLachlan and Sting.