Months Later, Dune’s Director Is Still Unhappy Over HBO Max Release

Dune’s director Denis Villeneuve has time and again expressed extreme displeasure for the movie being simultaneously released on HBO Max.

In conversation with Total Films, he says he is still not happy about the decision. A devotee to bringing the cinematic best to the big screen, Villeneuve has talked about how pitiful it would be to experience Dune on TV.

First of all, the enemy of cinema is the pandemic. That’s the thing. We understand that the cinema industry is under tremendous pressure right now. That I get. The way it happened, I’m still not happy. Frankly, to watch Dune on a television, the best way I can compare it is to drive a speedboat in your bathtub. For me, it’s ridiculous. It’s a movie that has been made as a tribute to the big-screen experience.

Denis Villeneuve

His first rebuttal came in 2020 when Warner Bros announced all their 2021 films would also be premiering on the steamer on the same day. In the open letter, Villeneuve wrote about how he understood that amidst the pandemic, public safety is crucial. And hence agreed to have Dune’s premiere delayed to October 2021.

However, unlike his expectations in the letter, the virus is not behind us — vaccination goals have not fully been achieved and new strains are on the rise.

Villeneuve’s main qualm seems to be the fact that AT&T was using a cinematic masterpiece like Dune to further the success of HBO Max.

While opinions range on all sides for this convoluted debate, it is fair to assume that currently films don’t have a guaranteed chance of box office success, no matter how phenomenal they are.

A simultaneous online release will at least uphold the wave of excitement and give streamers viable data on its opening weekend success. This data will be important for Dune Part Two that is still awaiting confirmation.

Of course, there is no consoling directors, producers and talent on this sudden shift of dynamics. We can blame the pandemic and we can blame distribution companies who made announcements without consulting those creating the films.

One can only hope that lessons are learnt and better decisions will be made. 

About Dune

Dune (also known as Dune: Part One) is an American sci-fi film based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Part One introduced the planet of Dune/Arrakis, the only place where the enhancer drug “Melange” is found and sought out by many. The Atreides House is sent to the planet as the ruling Duke, as part of their adversaries’ trap. However, the Atreides are aware of the same and aim to defend Dune and their house.

The ensemble cast is made up of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

Source: Games Radar