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‘Dune: Part Two’ Provides Spice To Box Office As No.
The truth is, casting is a gamble, but I knew we would be able to do it.
I had seen it before.
Director Denis Villeneuve on set with cinematographer Greig Fraser.Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros./ everett Collection
I was really proud of what they all did on that day.
DEADLINE: Its also Zendayas film.
Her Chani provides the moral compass and makes the romance feel real.
Timothee ChalametinDune: Part Two.Warner Bros./Everett Collection
VILLENEUVE: Paul is the main character, but Chani is our moral compass.
Its a big difference.
Thats where the movie differentiates itself from the book.
Herbert wanted to do the opposite.
He wanted to do a cautionary tale, a warning against the embrace of charismatic figures.
And me knowing this, I made this adaptation having this knowledge.
I tried my best to be, lets say, more faithful to Frank Herbert than to the book.
And for me, in a way, this is where the story ofDunegets so interesting.
Where it becomes a tragedy is what Paul will betray.
In fact, the book is inspired by the story of T.E.
And at the end, he betrayed that culture and that kills him, it breaks his heart.
And its that tragedy, that betrayal…
I wanted it to be very clear for the audience.
DEADLINE: Why did you make that choice?
As youve said, you cannot take your eyes from her.
DEADLINE: Well, she doesnt need words to get her point across.
I feel like that last look from her, Ive gotten that one from my wife.
What did you say to her?
VILLENEUVE: Listen, shes a tremendous actress.
She knew it was clear, from the screenplay.
Its a dual betrayal.
The idea was that they were supposed to bring Fremen to power, to relieve them from colonialism.
And now Paul will embrace again this colonialist approach.
That is the big betrayal, the political betrayal.
I wanted both to be intertwined, embedded one into the other.
Shes trying to keep her dignity.
That was a deep sadness they brought to life.
DEADLINE: You first got hooked on Frank Herberts books at age 14?
And you become an adult in that society.
I thought that was a beautiful idea.
He brought so much detail and reality and love into it that it felt so real, so rich.
DEADLINE: Now you are onto the third film, your last.
Youve set the stage here to at least temporarily leave the sand behind.
What are you most excited by?
But lets say that it is absolutely deeply inspired by the book,Dune Messiah.
I think there is the potential for a very strong movie there, and I absolutely believe in it.
Then you jumped right intoDune: Part Two.
How did the time after this film differ from the rush after the first?
VILLENEUVE: When the second film was finished, I did feel that I had finished the journey.
Im still pinching myself that I had the privilege to do this, and Im still digesting that.
You are drilled down creatively in the moment, shooting in the extreme heat.
Did you need someone to remind you your brain was turning to mush?
VILLENEUVE: Heat and cold are very different in some ways.
Sometimes you flirt with danger if you do an explosion, for instance, or stunts things.
And as a director, I have a responsibility.
Im like the father of the crew, and I take that very seriously.
I understand that with the cold problem is, the cold paralyzes you.
Being Canadian, I know what they went through.
I would like to not comment onThe Revenant.
I wasnt there, but I have a lot of respect for what they did.
DEADLINE: What were the most challenging aspects of shooting in the desert?
VILLENEUVE: The heat.
There was a moment in the day where the brain felt like a bowl of warm soup.
So that I took very seriously.
We brought the crew to rest around noon.
It was too hot to work, even though we were in a cooler season.
Those environments, the heat, is taxing and you get tired very quickly under these circumstances.
And also, it sounds silly, but to create shadow in the desert is not a given.
You need powerful infrastructures to do that.
And the wind is so powerful.
That sounds silly, but its not a small detail.
DEADLINE: What could you not have replicated on a soundstage?
It wouldve been impossible in most of the shots to bring the scale on a stage.
I wouldnt do it on a backlot.
When we came back to the desert, my crew was different.
They knew what it was.
They knew what dust was.
They knew what a sandstorm was.
I wanted to capture that impact on screen.
Im a hundred percent convinced that thats the only way I was able to make that happen.
DEADLINE: Is it fair to say this was an unforgettable life experience?
As filmmakers, one of the beautiful things is that it is an adventure, making movies.
And this was a real adventure.
