Dune: Chloé Zhao ‘blown away’ by the film but fears people won’t see it in theaters

Last Updated on August 14, 2021

Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated adaptation of Dune will finally make its world premiere on September 3, 2021, at the Venice Film Festival after suffering several release delays due to the global pandemic. The masses will get to see the film when it opens on October 22, 2021, but already there’s one big fan of Villeneuve’s new take on Dune, Chloé Zhao. The director shared her thoughts on the film, particularly about how she thinks the film is the future of the cinematic medium, but she also shared her fears about moviegoers not catching it on the big screen.

Zhao did an interview with “Sight & Sound Magazine” and, as reported by the publication, “Zhao seems well-positioned to comment on where on earth, or elsewhere, the medium might be heading. Not that she’s at all decided on the matter.” From there Zhao gives her take on the film and her fear about how people will ultimately decide to watch it:

“It gives me hope that a filmmaker like Denis is able to really harness his vision and put together something that’s so incredible, so cinematic. I’m just blown away by the experience I had in that room. But I’m terrified about how many people are or aren’t going to have that experience like I did, in a theatre, and what that means for the future.”

Like all of their 2021 releases, Warner Bros. is opening Dune in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service. While the film will only be available on the service for the first 30 days of its theatrical run, many industry insiders have pointed to the simultaneous theatrical and streaming release pattern as a detriment to a film’s bottom line at the theatrical box office. The belief is if the film is available to stream at home, people are less inclined to go see the movie on the big screen. Dune was made to be seen theatrically and you can tell that from seeing the film’s latest trailer during your next trip to the movies. Hardcore cinephiles, sci-fi fans, and fans of the source material will likely see the film as it was intended but casual moviegoers might be harder to convince. On top of all those, cerebral sci-fi is already a tough sell at the box office so Dune is going to have to fight to make back its reported $165 million budget.

Dune follows the son of a noble family that is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy. Villeneuve has gathered an impressive ensemble cast for the film including Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

Do YOU think most people will see Dune in theaters or will they catch the film at home on HBO Max?