Director Villeneuve Hopes to Win over Fans Old and New with 'Dune' Film

Actor Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Denis Villeneuve at the 78th Venice Film Festival. (Reuters)
Actor Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Denis Villeneuve at the 78th Venice Film Festival. (Reuters)
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Director Villeneuve Hopes to Win over Fans Old and New with 'Dune' Film

Actor Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Denis Villeneuve at the 78th Venice Film Festival. (Reuters)
Actor Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Denis Villeneuve at the 78th Venice Film Festival. (Reuters)

Denis Villeneuve hopes to win over fans of Frank Herbert's epic 1965 science fiction novel "Dune" as well as introduce new ones to the story with his mammoth movie adaptation, the most challenging production of the Canadian director's career.

Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya star in the hotly anticipated film, which hits US and UK cinemas later this month and follows past attempts to take Herbert's 400-page book to the silver screen.

Set in the future where noble families rule planetary fiefs, the story follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet), whose father takes on the stewardship of planet Arrakis, known as Dune to its native Fremen people and contested for its unique spice commodity found in its inhospitable desert.

"It was by far the most challenging thing I've done in my life," Villeneuve, known for "Blade Runner 2049" and "Sicario", told Reuters.

"I had to find an equilibrium between the people who had read the book ... I wanted them to really feel that it was a profound homage to the spirit of the book. At the same time, I wanted people who knew nothing about the book to feel welcome in the world, not left aside."

The two-and-a-half-hour movie, described as part one of the story, is Chalamet's biggest project to date, something he says helped him relate to character Paul overcoming his fears.

"(I've) never been on a project of this size before," Chalamet said. "Sometimes the things you're feeling on set can bleed into the natural arc or progression of a story."

Villeneuve's "Dune" follows Alejandro Jodorowsky's unsuccessful attempt in the mid-1970s and David Lynch's critically-panned 1984 version.

With sweeping landscapes and dark mood, critics have lauded this film as a visual spectacle in reviews.

"It's a book that's been the source material for a lot of bigger ideas like 'Star Wars'," actor Josh Brolin, who plays weapons master Gurney, said.

"The movie's been done in different eras with different technological possibilities. And now we're in an era that's so technologically advanced we're able to see that version of it."

Javier Bardem, who plays Fremen tribe leader Stilgar, said the mood on set was relaxed.

"I never felt that pressure on (Villeneuve) when he was working with us," he said. "It's a huge one, and I wouldn't be able to hold it myself and have the humor, the joy and the attitude that he had on set."

Villeneuve said it was too early to talk about part two but Zendaya hopes her character Chani, who appears in Paul's visions, will be further explored.

"Anyone who's familiar with the books (knows) there’s so much to dive into and there's so much still to come," she said.

"It truly is only the beginning. So I do hope that we get to stay with these characters for a little bit longer."



Gl-icked? Movie Theaters Pin Hopes on Big 'Wicked,' 'Gladiator' Weekend

'Gladiator II' has benefited from a long, expensive marketing campaign. Chris DELMAS / AFP
'Gladiator II' has benefited from a long, expensive marketing campaign. Chris DELMAS / AFP
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Gl-icked? Movie Theaters Pin Hopes on Big 'Wicked,' 'Gladiator' Weekend

'Gladiator II' has benefited from a long, expensive marketing campaign. Chris DELMAS / AFP
'Gladiator II' has benefited from a long, expensive marketing campaign. Chris DELMAS / AFP

US movie theaters are hoping the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of last year's "Barbenheimer" phenomenon can strike again this weekend, with the simultaneous release of two of 2024's most hyped films: "Wicked" and "Gladiator II."
"Wicked" is the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, starring pop sensation Ariana Grande, while "Gladiator II" marks Ridley Scott's return to ancient Rome, 24 years after his epic original won the best picture Oscar.
Whether audiences will embrace the tongue-in-cheek "Glicked" (or "Wickiator") memes being hopefully circulated by marketing departments -- or even dress up in witch hats and togas -- remains to be seen.
But cinema lobbies and shopping malls across the country are being daubed in the pink-and-green shades of the "Wicked" witches, and kitted out with cardboard miniature Colosseums, ahead of a period that analysts say will be crucial for the industry, AFP said.
"I am certain that this is going to be the biggest Thanksgiving the industry has ever seen," said Jordan Hohman, an executive at Phoenix Theatres.
"Wicked" alone is "the biggest opening film in terms of advance sale tickets" in the US chain's 24-year history, currently pacing 63 percent ahead of "Barbie," added president Cory Jacobson.
While rival Hollywood studios have traditionally been wary of launching two major films on the same weekend, the record-breaking summer of 2023 showed it can be mutually beneficial -- with the right movies.
Like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," the female-skewing "Wicked" and male-focussed "Gladiator II" are "oriented to different audiences," said analyst David A. Gross, of Franchise Entertainment Research.
"Wicked" has inspired promotional tie-ins like a makeup line and a cupcake kit, while "Gladiator" ads have been ubiquitous during NFL telecasts.
"There is zero issue in terms of stepping on each other's feet," said Gross.
Still, matching the heady heights of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" will be a tough ask. Those films took $245 million combined on their opening weekend in North America alone.
"Barbenheimer was an example of two films massively over-performing... an unexpected best-case scenario," cautioned Daniel Lora, senior VP of content strategy for Boxoffice Media.
But part of the industry's current bullishness comes from another massive film, Disney's "Moana 2," which will join "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" in multiplexes just a week later.
"I don't think this is a two-picture experience. I think it's a three-picture experience," said Jacobson.
Marketing blitz
Should the next few weeks live up to hopes, it will come at a much-needed time for Hollywood.
Despite a profitable summer featuring hit sequels like "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine," 2024 has been a mixed bag for an industry still dreaming of a return to pre-pandemic numbers.
The first five months of the year were hampered by a thin release schedule, stemming from the production delays caused by Hollywood strikes and Covid.
The fall has also been a disappointment, with box office dud "Joker: Folie A Deux" foremost among a series of flops and middling releases.
But the early signs for this weekend look promising.
"Gladiator II" opened in dozens of other countries last week, taking a whopping $87 million overseas. Paramount will be hoping for similar numbers in the US this weekend.
"Wicked," from Universal, the studio behind "Oppenheimer," is predicted to take north of $100 million this weekend in North America alone.
Both movies have benefited from long, expensive marketing campaigns.
At a major Las Vegas movie theater convention in April, Paramount began their annual presentation with an executive riding into the Caesars Palace arena on a chariot flanked by Roman soldiers.
Universal's presentation ended with thousands of plastic flowers held aloft by audience members to create a giant green-and-pink "Wicked" themed electronic lightshow.
Eight months later, both studios will learn if those strategies have converted into ticket sales.
"When something really catches fire, and it's not just a marketing campaign flogging it, honestly it can just take off and go higher than anybody can predict," said Gross.
"So let's see what happens."