Denis Villeneuve is a busy man. Between INCENDIES, PRISONERS, ENEMY, SICARIO and ARRIVAL he has one of the most impressive résumés of any director working today. Each movie has been as good, if not better, than the last, and with BLADE RUNNER 2049 on the way we have a lot to be excited about. Needless to say the dude has earned a break, and much to the dismay of fans that means putting his next project – DUNE – on the slightest of holds.
While talking with Cinema Blend the director reminisced how ever since coming to America to work on PRISONERS he’s been working non-stop to deliver several movies in a short amount of time. Though he’s more than excited to work on DUNE, he just needs some time to cool off before getting started on the sci-fi epic:
The problem right now, and something I want to change, I worked very fast. I did PRISONERS, and then after that, in the past six years I have done five movies — which is not a good idea! It’s too fast. And I learned a lot, I learned so much, for the time now I need just a little time to digest. After BLADE RUNNER, as I’m working on DUNE, I would love to just digest and then come back with more energy for DUNE with fresh ideas. I need that right now! And so I need distance a little bit.
Now, this isn’t anything shocking. The man has earned all the time off in the world, but this may slightly bum out some fans who were hoping he’d get cracking as soon as possible to deliver a new cinematic take on the Frank Herbert novel. No word on when he will get started, but between post on RUNNER, and time to promote it I’d say it’s more than likely he’ll wait until next year.
But he’s still very much on the DUNE train, citing how it was the movie he wanted to make ever since he finished working on PRISONERS, and Alcon Entertainment asked him what he wanted to do next:
I said, “DUNE,” Spontaneously. I know there was competition to get the rights, but I always said to myself, and I’m saying it to you, I can’t believe it will be a thing. There’s no screenplay right now, but that will be my dream!
Villeneuve has worked so hard to deliver so many tremendous films, and finally earned a best director Oscar nom this year for ARRIVAL. If the man needs time to keep his genius brain intact, so be it. Take all the time in the world. If it means bringing us a masterful DUNE movie, we will wait. BLADE RUNNER looks terrific based on the first footage, so I’m sure we will all have plenty to hold us over until DUNE. Shall you like one of us to feed you grapes, my liege?
BLADE RUNNER 2049 arrives October 6 with Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto, Robin Wright and more.