Director Denis Villeneuve andTimothée Chalamet — who plays royal heir Paul Atreides — in deep discussion.
“THIS IS ONLY the beginning,” declares Zendaya in the closing moments of Dune. It might have been little more than wishful thinking at the time, but after a sandwormsized $400 million haul at the global box office, Denis Villeneuve’s spice saga will continue with Dune: Part Two. Despite the best efforts of Covid, various government lockdowns, and a controversial day-and-date release on HBO Max, audiences responded overwhelmingly to his sandy sci-fi epic and the director couldn’t be happier about it. Here, like Shai-Hulud burrowing its way through the deserts of Arrakis, Villeneuve takes us on a deep dive into his first instalment, with a little hint at what’s yet to come…
How gratifying was it when you got the call giving Part Two the green light?
It was funny, in fact. Because when I got the numbers from the United States, I knew that the movie had performed very well in Europe and that people were very excited about it and it was starting to smell good. But I got the numbers on a Friday and on the Saturday night everybody was drinking Champagne and celebrating, but I slept like a baby. I slept so well and I woke up saying, “Oh boy, I didn’t sleep like that in four years!” Then I got a call, “We are greenlit!”And I started prep. So when people ask me if I had time to relax, I say, “Yes, one night.” I’m not complaining but sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for!
When do you start shooting Part Two? We are supposed to shoot by the end of the summer. I will say it is mostly designed. The thing that helps us right now is that it’s the first time I’ve revisited a universe. So I’m working with the same crew, everybody knows what to do, we know what it will look like.