Denis Villeneuve, the acclaimed director known for his work on ‘Dune,’ recently shared his thoughts on the ‘Star Wars’ franchise during an interview on ‘The Town’ podcast. Although Villeneuve grew up as a fan of the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, he revealed that directing a film in that universe is not a dream of his. He attributes this sentiment to the impact of ‘Return of the Jedi,’ which he believes derailed the franchise in 1983.
As a child, Villeneuve was captivated by ‘Star Wars,’ recalling how the original film affected him deeply at the age of ten. He expressed that ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was the film he anticipated the most in his youth and admitted to being traumatized by its storyline. However, he feels that the franchise took a wrong turn with ‘Return of the Jedi,’ which he and a friend were so displeased with that they contemplated traveling to Los Angeles to confront George Lucas.
Villeneuve criticized the way the ‘Star Wars’ franchise has become overly codified and predictable, stating that it has lost the element of surprise. He asserted that he is not interested in directing a ‘Star Wars’ film because it feels too much like a formulaic recipe. Furthermore, he dismissed the idea of taking on ‘Star Trek,’ saying, ‘I’m not a Trekkie.’
Despite stepping away from these iconic franchises, Villeneuve is widely regarded as a master of the science fiction genre, particularly due to the success of ‘Dune.’ He is currently developing a third film based on Frank Herbert’s second Dune novel, ‘Dune Messiah.’ Villeneuve has indicated that this upcoming installment will not follow the traditional trilogy format, aiming instead to create a unique film that stands apart and has its own identity.
‘Dune Messiah’ is set twelve years after the events of the first novel, which raises the challenge of aging up the young cast, including stars like Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Villeneuve has expressed confidence in his ability to handle this task, though he has kept the specifics of his approach under wraps.
Fans can look forward to Villeneuve’s full interview on ‘The Town’ podcast for more insights into his thoughts on ‘Star Wars’ and his visions for the future of ‘Dune.’
