Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune films are not just a triumph for the director but a much-needed gift for audiences craving epic cinema. But what’s next for Villeneuve? Well, he’s sworn off doing the only project fans demand.
Denis Villeneuve was already an excellent filmmaker before the Dune movies came out and launched him to wider recognition. But way before everything, he was a teenager with a love of cinema—especially a franchise that shaped all our childhoods. So, if you get a chance to step into the same world you once admired and create something of your own, you’d jump right into it no? Well, Villeneuve won’t.
In a recent chat with The Town Podcast, Villeneuve revealed that the Star Wars movies went through his “brain like a silver bullet” and had him obsessed with the galaxy-wide adventures of Jedi at just 10 years old. However, his love for the franchise only lasted five years, and in his words, “It all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi.” Even though wider discourse agrees that this third film was a significant downgrade in comparison to A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the film caused Villeneuve an ick for the franchise.
“I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids.” (via THR)
Turns out that George Lucas could not stand tall on the expectations of the 15-year-old Villeneuve, and now the whole world has to take the fall for it. So 40 years ago, our beloved Villeneuve resolved to stay away from the franchise. Though we’re sure he must have still kept up with the films in secret, he very clearly announced that he no longer dreams of making a Star Wars film.
“Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like code is very codified.”
So, Villeneuve isn’t going anywhere near the Stars, not even Star Trek as he bluntly stated, “I’m not a Trekkie.” While he’s open to exploring another Dune sequel, the director made it clear he’s steering clear of franchise projects. Instead, Villeneuve plans to focus on original, unique films moving forward — and honestly, we’re all for it. After all, Villenueve’s pre-Dune movies like Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) were a breath of fresh air that we won’t mind getting again.
Villeneuve made another bold statement before ending the podcast, announcing that he would rather not work with streaming giants like Netflix and instead make movies for the big screen only.
“The big screen is part of the language, to share a story together, to receive the communal emotional experience of cinema in a theater. We’re not meant to be alone, we’re meant to share together. … I believe the theater experience will prevail.”
This goes in line with the warning The Shawshank Redemption actor Tim Robbins shared a few days ago about how the future of cinema is in danger because of streaming services like Netflix that do not promote original or visionary filmmaking. Jon Watts also recently shared how he no longer trusts Apple’s streaming service, causing the demise of his Wolfs sequel. So, it’s high time we bring the real cinematic experience back, and Villeneuve might be the perfect guy for the job.