Director Quentin Tarantino recently critiqued Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune and now it seems there is a clash between both directors. A disconnect has arisen vis-a-vis how each of them views the French Canadian auteur’s version. Tarantino thinks of it as a remake of David Lynch’s 80s cult classic while Villeneuve doesn’t.
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The latter opened up during a recent appearance at Montreal’s Concordia University via the Montreal Gazette and came across as unfazed by the critique.“I don’t care. It’s true,” He stated, “I agree with him that I don’t like this idea of recycling and bringing back old ideas. But where I disagree is that what I did was not a remake. It’s an adaptation of the book. I see this as an original.”
The director of Reservoir Dogs recently voiced his disinterest in seeing remakes of popular films, which also included Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune. During a conversation on Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast, Tarantino stated he’s “not interested” in watching remakes or adaptations of stories he has already seen on screen.
Specifically referencing Dune, Tarantino dismissed the idea of revisiting the film. “I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word ‘spice’ so dramatically,” he explained. “It’s one after another of this remake, and that remake. People ask, ‘Have you seen Dune? Have you seen Ripley? Have you seen Shōgun?’ And I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no.’ I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time.”
From Tarantino’s point of view, Villeneuve’s Dune is the third attempt at Frank Herbert’s novel with David Lynch making the first attempt in 1984, and the Sci-Fi channel turning the novel into a mini-series in the early 2000s. But to be fair, Villeneuve’s Dune series stands apart as an adaptation directly drawn from Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel unlike the film directed by Lynch.
Villeneuve has focused on crafting a narrative that stays true to Herbert’s intricate world-building and themes. He further noted the contrast between his perspective and Tarantino’s, acknowledging, “But we are very different human beings.” The director’s comment sheds light on his commitment to exploring Herbert’s work with a unique vision that he considers original in its storytelling.
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So far, it seems that Villeneuve’s adaptation has proven successful with both audiences and critics. The 2021 film garnered six Academy Awards and, combined with its sequel, has grossed over $1.12 billion globally. The director’s dedication to Herbert’s original work has made Dune a standout franchise in an era where reboots and remakes dominate Hollywood.
Villeneuve’s Dune series is set to expand further, with the prequel series Dune: Prophecy debuting on HBO Max on November 17th. The prequel series is expected to delve deeper into the expansive lore of Herbert’s universe, providing fans with additional layers of storytelling that have yet to be explored on screen.
As for the main film series, Villeneuve recently revealed his plans to return for a third installment adapting Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah. The director shared his tentative timeline, suggesting filming could commence as early as late 2025 or 2026.
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