Denis Villeneuve Talks Dune 2, Deleted Scenes, and Dune: Messaiah
Expectations are high for Dune: Part Two, premiering next month, but no one's really nervous with Denis Villeneuve leading the charge again. The auteur took audiences to the furthest reaches of the galaxy in 2021's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi saga, Dune, and in Part Two, we get to see the culmination of Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet) travels into the deserts of Arrakis where he united with the Fremen.
In Dune, Villeneuve was tasked with packing the lore of Herbert's sci-fi universe into a single film in order to prepare moviegoing audiences for the adventure to come. At last year's CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, the director told the audience, "I used to say when I did Part One that it was the appetizer and that Part Two would be the main course. It's a movie that is much more action. It's a much more emotional, complex, muscular movie, and with a love story." The sequel brings back Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and introduces Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler.
Ahead of Dune: Part Two's premiere, Collider's Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to watch an early screening and sit down with Villeneuve to discuss. In the interview, which you can watch in the video above or read in the transcript below, the director opens up about his thoughts on releasing deleted scenes and why neither Dune movies went the route of films like Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon with extended runtimes. He also shares the status of Dune: Messiah, why we won't be getting as quick a turnaround, and which scene in Part Two was the most important for Villeneuve to pin down.
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I dont think it's hyperbole to say Denis has already cemented himself as one of the greatest directors of all time.
i have to agree with you.
Most definitely. Crazy body of work already.
He doesn’t miss
I agree yet somehow he's still underrated. I can't believe blade runner 2049 was so slept on..
100% Denis is the man
These Dune movies are what it must've felt like for people when the original Star Wars trilogy came out.
It is
and lotr
It is. Ironically, the books from Frank Herbert actually predate the Star Wars franchise.
I was there. YES it is like that.
Star Wars was much more popular than the Dune movies are, but in terms of feeling like you’re seeing something on screen we’ve never seen before, yes it’s similar
Please Denis, even if there is no extended or director's cut ever made, I am okay with that, but please just release the deleted scenes as extras. There is nothing wrong with that.
i'd understand if it wouldn't feel comfortable to him
They might not have VFX, editing, and other post processing completed. Still, I'm fine with the raw footage! LOL
I don't think he films or keeps them.
Yeah i understand his sentiment but these r books, we KNOW the scenes, and they’re integral to the story the same way the LOTR Extended edition never detracts from the film. Its a bit odd for him to refuse to release scenes we all know in detail from the book, and we know he shot, and that we know would technically fill plotholes like Huey for example
He doesn't want fans to edit better versions of his films.
"I want to make the best movie ever." I love Denis. for me he just can't miss.
Would you like him to direct a remake of the original Star Wars trilogy? I’m just running a survey right now. Timothy Chalomet as Luke, Josh Brolin as Hans, Zendaya as Leia, etc
@@LeonSKennedy7777 Honestly that’s a good choice of actors but I feel Denis should direct a new trilogy of Star Wars movies, remaking the originals would be tough.
Agree 100% Literally everything he’s made has been gold. From Incendies to Prisoners to Dune he’s an incredible filmmaker.
@@LeonSKennedy7777I'd waaaay rather see him direct his own trilogy, not just a remake!
@@LeonSKennedy7777 Only if it was something he really wanted to do and had the best people around him to do a brand new trilogy. Imagine what Denis and Roger could do with Star Wars.
Just came back from Dune Part 2. I can confidently say I haven't seen a director on this much of a roll since James Cameron in the 80's and early '90s. Denis is THE MAN.
Agreed. Dude can literally do no wrong
I feel the same way about Nolan right now, Oppenheimer was a masterpiece on top of a long list of what I consider some of the best modern cinema. I definitely place Denise right alongside him, tho. They are both Masters of cinematic storytelling, imo.
It's very rare you hear that a studio tells a director that "We want you to make a sequel no matter what." Now that is a testament to Denis Villeneuve's skills as a film-maker.
Or how much money the movie made and will make. I'm being cynical 😅
@@loejewis haha, well if DV is telling the truth, apparently the studio told him they liked part 1 so much that they would have funded part 2 even if it had flopped. But who really knows? We live in a world where part 1 did well and we got a really good sequel.
“Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: 'Now, it's complete because it's ended here.'" - from Collected Sayings of Maud'Dib'' by the Princess Irulan As Villeneuve is a die-hard Dune fan, he certainly took this philosophy to heart!
Didn't know that
2 hours and 45 minutes that pass like a streak. Incredible movie!. Congratulations Denis!.
This guy has made my two favourite films in the last decade in Bladerunner and Dune part one. To say I’m excited for the second is an understatement.
How'd you like it?
Arrival was great too
@@msjadhav5192And Sicario
You can tell that Steve was psyched out of his mind to talk with Denis about Dune my dude was giddy like a little kid that just found some candy. Aside from Dune, I would love to see Denis' interpretation of Battlestar Galactica just friggin imagine that!
Starwars man. Lets have Denis Direct a Stand alone Starwars Movie.
@@malarie11 Nah keep him far away from that circus.
Imo Denis should be the one to direct a live action Akira Movie instead of Taika Waititi
This interviewer wasnt very good. He kept pushing his stupid egocentric demand for deleted scenes like a whiny lil baby. Stfu and ask some real questions, Nerd.
Just watched Dune 2 and man it was absolutely incredible, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The cinematography was so good, the entire movie and set pieces were all beautifully shot, the story, action, epic Hans Zimmer soundtrack, everything was top notch. Denis Villeneuve truly one of the best directors today. The cast was great, Timothée Chalamet gave the performance of a lifetime and stole the show as Paul Atreides. A truly worthy sequel. So excited for Part 3.
completely agreed
5:26 "I want to make the best movie ever" we know Denis' humility means he probably meant to say he wants to make the best version of the movie he can make but no, he will make Messiah the best movie ever period. It will happen.
I love watching this man talk about his art form. He loves filmmaking so much and you can feel it in every word he says. Excellent interview Steve, as always you are amazing.
You can tell Denis is truly an artist, the way he looks away while talking about his vision for the sand worm scene, he's playing his vision in his head.
Great interview! I want Dune messiah asap but I'm also glad he's taking a break. can't wait to see what Denis does next!
Rendezvous with Rama
All of his movies are fantastic I want to see him do something different for a while, new properties and ideas and maybe in a decade come back and make dune messiah
I just don’t see the general audience being down with Dune Messiah.
I especially would love to see him do Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune in addition to Dune Messiah because these first 2 Dune movies of his are sheer perfection
@@cmdrvarna Too bad. It needs to be told. Messiah has some tough themes and messages but they're needed to tell the full story of Paul.
I've read the first four books 10 times. I, like the interviewer, wanted another 2 hours on that first film. It was great to see the interviewer unabashedly fanboy over this film, it's a staggeringly good adaptation of the book so far. Can't wait for the rest of the films.
I love his patience and honestly an audience will WAIT for quality.
Might be a 7-10 year wait...for the next movie.
“The movie prevails.” Love this rhetoric, as much as I enjoy deleted scenes / extras.
He is simply the best director working right now. He is the true visionary that everyone claims Kubrick was but wasn't. Long live Denis.
Normally I don't like when the interviewer fan-gushes too much, but in this case I can totally understand and empathize with him. He has such limited time to ask questions, and I absolutely share his passion about the Dune project and a possibility of Dune: Messiah (Which really needs to happen to show the outcome of Paul's "Ascension").
Shhhheeeeet man, 8 minutes is just not enough! I could listen you two get into the reeds on this, for at least another hour!! I need this movie in my eyeballs right now😂
Yeah hang on, why *didn't* they make a longer interview? They're always saying things like "oh no we're out of time" after like a 5 minute interview
This interviewer literally represents everyone😂
Denis we need a 4hr directors cut please!! 🙏
He probably has Final Cut, so it is already the director’s cut
I want it too but unfortunately that’s never gonna happen 😂 his analogy killed me lmao ITS DEAD TO ME
Denis doesnt do extended versions or director cuts, he hate them. We deserve the delted scenes. Vilenueve is so selfish
@@gerardotejada2531 you paid for a movie ticket, or a dvd. you are entitled to experience a copy of the movie as it was intended, and nothing more. i would posit that YOU are the selfish consumer, not Denis, who is cutting out likely hundreds of hours of work's worth of footage to create the best film he possibly can. reconsider your attitude towards the film and its maker, and you might find yourself appreciating what you TRULY deserve, which is the breathtaking cinematic experience you have the privilege of being allowed access to.
YES!!!! Back to back is what we need. Do IMAX back to back for part one and part two with 15 minutes intermission
I want this very badly. I didn't see the first one during theatre runs so I don't want to see the second yet, but I very badly want to see it how Denis wanted them seen: in the theatre, hopefully in IMAX.
What an absolutely incredible interview! I'm amazed at how many great answers you got out of Denis. Also your enthusiasm is so infectious.
No this was not a good interview. Half of it was him whining about not getting a directors cut.
"I kill darlings." He's not joking. He cut Gurney Halleck's baliset.
Amazing interview. I respect Denis so much for committing to each and every decision he makes and not regretting deleted scenes and such
Thanks for this interview and the great questions. It saddens me that we're not going to see all the deleted scenes from both movies and that he won't make an extended cut like LOTR and Avatar. I still hope the studio will somehow release the scenes, even if they are not edited into an extended cut.
Wonderful. Hopefully he can take lots of free time now with his friends and family! Such an incredible moviemaker, even on the same level as Nolan. Best of health and life!
Thanks Denis and Steve for the brief glimpse into the process of making movie magic! I am as excited as Steve is in this interview to see this movie! Heck, give me reel after reel of all the footage 😅. Denis, whatever your next project may be...I'll be in the audience.
It’s already been said but love hearing Denis talk about his craft. You can tell he absolutely loves and respects it. Can’t wait for more of his movies, Dune or otherwise
Best film I've ever seen. I'm 62 .
I know its unpopular opinion, but im so on the same page with Denis Villeneuve for the deleted scene. I think it shows the integrity of his work. It means that when you go to theater to see a Denis Villeneuve movie, you see the best he could possibly give to you. He goes 100% on his project and do no concession whatsoever on the work of art he's doing.
I just love Denis, his movies are masterpieces. This interview just shows why he is so good.
he is anything but jaded and sure of himself. he's the real thing. a movie maker in his head since childhood. this guy won't be convinced to take on to a Disney or a superhero flick. which is exactly why he's preparing to shoot RendezVous with Rama. Hardly any action. All substance. much more challenging
steve...i LOVE that you have insisted on the deleted scenes...we all suffer with you for that. Denis...I love you but those cutscenes that we will never see its unforgivable.
Fucking hell just give us the four hour version please. Yeah, who knows, maybe even I would find it boring, but maybe I would love it even more. I just wish it existed so I knew.
I'd say the film requires an entire re-edit if one is to add all the (relevant to the story) cut out material
Unfortunately, it'd cost the CGI and vfx team to build out the actual scenes to match the glory of the final product. Deleted scenes would be somewhat barebones in appearance
Great interview!
Great interview, merci! subscribed
I'm not buying what Villeneuve saying he thought he came up with the best runtime. It's very obvious by his statement "felt like a Samurai gutting himself with a sword" that he would've been heavily pressured into streamlining and making those cuts into what became the final edit. There's so many deleted scenes apparently that if you add them altogether with the 2021 cut it's somewhere between 4-6 hrs long. No one who's that passionate about the source material, films those scene with the intention of not using them at all. The movie was just a massive gamble to Warner Bros. plain and simple and they would've had the final say at the end of the day. So Part 2 and Messiah will suffer cuts aswell, because all they're interested in is money. The irony is that you will never get the average person to enjoy this movie, no matter how many young hot actors, or humor, streamlining of the source material you do because Dune is simply not for children, aka Adults with destroyed and short attention spans.. He even filmed a scene between Piter and Thufir for Christ sake where Piter says "check mate old friend" and then drinks sapho juice, while Arakeen is on fire and you can hear the burning and screaming of Arakeen citizens during the ambush scene. Absolutely insane. The least he can do is secretly leaks the deleted scenes so fans can edit them together and create a super version like what happened to Lynch's Dune.
Mannn you broke that down perfectly. This dude HAS to release the deleted scenes somehow.
Great interview.
“The length of the movie is based on what the story needs” TRUER WORDS NEVER BEEN SPOKEN. People can and will love long movies as long as the time is used wisely and isn’t full of unnecessary scenes. The true greats can make a 3 hour movie feel like 2.
Great interview! Good job!
Your interviews are some of the best out here. Always. Thank you
What a great interview!
such a great interview! loved how geeky and enthusiastic Steve is :D
this was awesome! need more interviews where you can tell the interviewer absolutely loves the material he’s talking about
Love this interviewer’s enthusiasm. Good stuff!
I love when a genuine fan of sc fi interviews someone.
wonderful interview! your questions were quick and to the point and you seemed genuinely passionate. i seriously wish you could have interviewed him for hours
Dude great interview, you had awesome energy and strong questions. I respect his perspective on cut footage, but damn i'd love to see an extended cut or deleted scenes. Denis pulled off an unbelievable feat with these two films and 2049 in my opinion.
Seeing this tomorrow. Can’t wait
what a great little interview. so jealous you got to tell him in person!
I don't think I closed my mouth at any point during that sandworm riding scene. It boggles my mind how they were able to make it feel so real. Like he said, the speed, the danger, the adrenaline. I have never seen anything like it
Someone needs to convince Denis to give us an extended version. 20 more minutes will be greatly appreciated
What's more important is that the story is satisfactory told, not the length of the movie. Honestly speaking, this Dune 2 movie is so well made that I didn't feel that it was 2.45 hours long. 😂
Interviewer is such a goober. i digress. This movie was a masterpiece. I wanted to watch it again after leaving the theater. It was perfect.
Also pls keep this interviewer, I love the depth in which he asks questions. And you can feel the passion and thought he puts into his questions from the viewers perspective. Ps. I am one of those people who wants a Extended Directors Cut. 4-6 hours pls. i pray and wait for the next Denis in our lifetime (maybe never…but) with just a bit more ego to tackle a book as iconic and dune and give us that extended sci-fi world cut
What a genuine, passionate, and purposeful film maker and artist. Such a blessing to see his work, and what did humanity do to deserve guys like him? ❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯
PLEASE: release a deleted scenes- extended edition, whatever. People want this. The film still stands as a brilliant piece of work, but it needs more fleshing out, more breathing room, more depth. Look at James Cameron, Peter Jackson and all the other directors: it will not detract from the movie itself to see what else was made for this universe.
Guys, excellent work on using this interviewer for your videos. He's a genuine fan and you can see he's authentic with his questions and enthusiasm for the projects. I keep seeing companies using irritating, young, loud interviewers who make it more about them than the film or the artist they are speaking too. You did good.
Denis if you reading this, I love your movie man! Thank you for the experience! ❤
I love his philosophy on deleted scenes. When it's dead, it's dead. Usually good art comes from subtraction, not adding and adding.
These movies are absolutely wonderful. The second one just blew me away. It’s been a while since I’ve felt the need to see a movie in the theater but I saw it on opening day and I’m thinking of going back and seeing it again the following weekend.
Same thing happened to me first with Dune in 2021, and now then part II. I was so hyped about it that I bought a bunch of tickets that I gave out as gifts both times.
I’m so pissed there’s no extended version coming out but it was amazing nonetheless.
Dune Part Two felt like it was an hour and a half long and at the same time totally immense. I felt like I was listening to a story around a campfire
I think he’s earned the right to create his own stories within that universe. His Movie interpretation was spectacular. I have zero complaints on how it was altered from the book
I wish The Banquet Scene was included. It may possibly be included in this movie, but it’s so significant.
I disagree with that. Although it’s a great scene in the book, it actually kind of would kill much of the suspense for the film. And you would have to have the guests inner monologues all gabbing away in their brains for the audience to hear, which would come off as silly and awkward. Those inner monologues in Lynch’s version come off as very forced and awkward. I like the idea of things being revealed to us by actions, maybe even surprising people that have not read the book. It makes for better suspense, which is vital for a film to keep people engaged. Sometimes it’s better to not know what characters intentions are when watching a film.
Hearing him say he wants to take his time and make sure they have the right screenplay was exactly what I wanted to hear. I’ll wait a decade if that’s what it takes to make another movie as good as this.
I love how much the interviewer is geeking tf out. He KNOWS exactly how valuable it is to ne able to pick Villeneuve's brain.
2 and a half hour is not fucking enough after seeing this movie. There is clearly things missing in between the scenes. PLEASE RELESE A FULL VERSION. Make it 4 hours and I will fucking watch through it!
True artist
Take all the time you need.
God I love Denis!!!!
One of the greatest directors of our generation, and having seen some documentaries behind the scenes for Dune 1, a man who has gathered an enormous pool of people who rose to their heights to create this passion project.
The main hope that there will eventually be a Blue Ray or other digital version released with the deleted scenes as well a full IMAX digital version of Dune 1 is that the studios, Legendary and Warner Brothers, are the ones that own the rights to the movie (Legenday the content owners, Warner the distribution rights) and sooner or later, they will want to make more money off of this content. Right now, both are going to prioritize getting as much as they can out of Villeneuve to make more NEW content out of the Dune Universe. But, once it becomes clear that he's totally done with the Dune Universe, they don't NEED him necessarily to release new material or new versions based on what he has already shot. They can easily hire the film/video editors who worked or participated in the editing of the original movies to go through all the stored stock of filmed material and extract a coherent collection of deleted scenes, maybe even expand it into a longer version. Denis could to choose to participate and get paid for this, or he can make clear he doesn't want anything to do with it. Movie studio executives are quite capable of releasing whatever they want from the content stored in their vaults if they see that there is money to be made, whether the original director agrees with it or not.
I don't think people realize how absolutely intelligent this man is...... I have a sneaking intuition about just what he had to do to get these films made and I suspect he took a page straight out of Frank Herbert's Dune to do it. Mad genius!
Indeed,
A brilliant man
Denis is well-spoken even if I disagree with his decision regarding deleted scenes. This was a good interview.
He and Christopher Nolan are the best directors in the world right now.
Having just seen Part Two, please Denis make an extended edition. This film is worthy of it and I think it would actually enhance it. Dune Part Two was too short.
I Recently read the book and watched Dune 1 and imo this should've been a series, instead of movie. Yes, we will miss those beautiful visuals on TV but lot of character depth is missing in Part 1.
Theres a series that already exists, i think it was made by the scifi channel.
As much as a series would be really interesting because it would allow us time to explore characters. it wouldn’t be as good realistically unless they have a huge budget.
It’s movies like this that inspire me to one day create something as good as dune
Would cry if I could have an extended edition.
It doesn't get any easier. Messiah is a dark tragedy and leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Not a formula that general audiences rush to watch especially today's dumbed down audiences. Arrival, a true sci-fi story like Dune, dialogue heavy and requiring a little introspection, made only $100mil domestically. Difficult prospect for these films to be financially successful in today's bloated budget Hollywood. One possibility is to reduce the budget substantially to put less pressure at the box office. Dens could do it because much of the set can be reused and only a few of the Dune cast reappear in Messiah so can save $ by bringing in new, less well known actors. The other concern is Momoa as Idaho who plays a central role in Messiah and the 4 remaining books. Though he was adequate in Dune Pt, I have serious concerns whether has has the acting chops necessary for Messiah where Idaho doesn't have many action sequences and much more cerebral, dialogue heavy scenes. Maybe there's a side to Momoa I haven't witnessed yet. I hope so.
Well Momoa wanted to get Oscar nomination this will be his chance.
Totally, I have trouble picturing Ghola Idaho, zensunni mentat, but like you said, there might be a deeper more contemplative side to that large muscle tank of a man. We shall see. It's funny because in the Syfy mini-series they replaced the original actor who played Idaho with a new one in the 2nd season to play Hayt. I lol'd.
I personally have no problems of seeing Momoa as a Ghola Idaho! But I can see the difficulty to make Dune messiah in any way that would bring back the money that would be poured on it... well maybe a lot of naked Alia could... But it is hard book to modern "Mac Donald's" audience. Dune fans would and will love it... but the rest... hard to see the love in their eyes...
Very insightful points of concern which I agree with entirely. I’m sure Denis has it in him to do Messiah justice for book readers, but whether it would be a successful general movie is another matter. Ditto on Momoa.
After checking Momoa's filmography, he hasn't just done typical action flicks. He's been in some dramatic roles too. I just haven't seen them so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for his acting chops. Fair is fair. Apparently it's been leaked that Anja Taylor Joy was cast as Alia Atreides in pt2. Not sure but it's possible that Denis decided against portraying her as a toddler like in the book. We may just get visions of her in the future as an adult with voiceovers in pt 2 which sets her up for a huge role in Messiah. I'm on the fence on this as I'd like to stay as true to the book as possible but also acknowledge that casting a toddler Alia is no easy feat. I didn't like her portrayal in Lynch's version or in the Syfy channel's version. If that's the case, then who kills the Baron? So if the cast for Messiah will be Chalamet, Zendaya, Pugh, Momoa, and now Taylor Joy, it'll help a lot to attract young viewers which should help box office numbers.
I'm the same as the interviewer, I wanted to see those deleted scenes / longer cut, but I have all the respect towards Denis' choice that when you make the cut it is dead.
I get that he likes his final edit but there is nothing wrong with just having a section of deleted scenes, many movies have these options and don't impact the final version of the movie.
DV is one of the greatest living artists on earth. This man's passion is inspiring.
this guy is a genius, truly.
I got a say I was very happy with run time. No toilet breaks needed is always a plus.
Friendly eye contact is key, and I have to say Denis connects better with this interviewer than, say, Lady Jessica did (the fault is mainly with the interviewer in that case). But I will say that for Denis, duration of eye contact is directly proportional to respect for the other. And you can see how his eye contact improves when the interviewer invites him to talk about a scene that Denis was totally stoked about filming. Kudos to the interviewer for keeping quiet during the time it took Denis to share his thoughts and enthusiasm for the worm riding scene and how he figured out how to film it.
Dune 1 & 2 are masterpieces! I do legitimately agree that I could have watched a longer version of part 2. My only criticism of part 2 is the last aspect of the story arch felt a little rushed. I also would have liked Feyd-Rautha to have been in part one (like the book) as he is an excellent creepy villian. That said - every aspect of Dune is amazing: acting, cinematography, special effects, costumes, set, make-up, the score etc.
Congrats you make history and not only in sci-fi but for hole cinema 🎦 experience movies 🍿 ❤
So glad Denis decided to direct movies. What a legend already.
Genuinely the best looking CGI I’ve ever seen in a movie. It doesn’t even look like CGI it looks real. Certainly one of the finest science fiction movies ever made.
He's holding for the record breaking budget, and yeah he should! Bringing Cinema back and huge!
Villeneuve, Nolan and Fincher. For me, the top 3 living directors.
What about Martin Scorsese, PTA, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Eggers? Those guys are great too!
PTA better
@@SuperBat63 Robert Eggers def on my radar. Can’t wait for NOSFERATU! 😎🍿
love your top 3 pick.
Nolan 🤣🤣🤣🤣
1:45 The momentum he mentioned was PERFECT in the movie.
God I hope there's an extended edition to Part 2 that adds whatever scenes that had to be removed for the cinema.
I checked my watch in this movie hoping that only a few minutes had passed. I really wanted it to go forever.
A brilliant director! I would love to see Denis Villeneuve direct films from Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice trilogy!