Denis Villeneuve has said he insisted on filming the Dune films in a real desert, despite being offered a Hollywood studio.
READ MORE: ‘Dune: Part Two’ review: sandworm-sized sequel should blow a hole in the box office
The director oversaw the 2021 film and its 2024 sequel, both adaptations of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The epic space operas star Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin among others and have collectively made over $1billion worldwide.
Speaking to Konbini’s Video Club in French, he explained that he was greatly inspired by David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence Of Arabia when visualising the films, and categorically refused to let them be shot in a studio.
Instead, he chose to immerse the actors and crew in the Wadi Rum desert landscapes of Jordan and the Liwa Oasis in Abu Dhabi to capture the vast, rolling sand dunes and rugged terrain of Arrakis.
Dune: Part Two was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars last week, where it will compete against Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance and Wicked. The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects.
Villeneuve will also return for Dune: Part Three, an adaptation of Herbert’s Dune Messiah which he says will definitely be his final film in the series, as continuing beyond that would “become unhealthy”.
Legendary is yet to announce a timeline for when production on Dune: Part Three might begin, but the studio intends for the movie to debut before its next project with the director – an adaptation of Nuclear War: A Scenario, Annie Jacobsen’s 2024 Pulitzer Prize-nominated book.
In a four-star review of the second film, NME wrote: “As with the first movie, Part Two proves a pulse-poundingly immersive experience, courtesy of cinematographer Greig Fraser’s stunning visuals, production designer Patrice Vermette’s wildly imaginative sets and some inspired sound design work. This is particularly evident during the film’s exciting central set piece, when Paul has to prove himself by riding a giant sandworm, a punch-the-air moment that was teased in the first part and pays off wonderfully here.”
Christopher Nolan is another fan of Dune: Part Two, recently describing it as “miraculous” in a Q&A with Villeneuve.
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