The odds were not in Denis Villeneuve’s favour. Adapting Frank Herbert’s best-selling, unwieldy sci-fi novel Dune for the big screen could have pissed off book fans, bored critics and alienated audiences. Even though the director was coming off career highs of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, previous adaptations of Herbert’s work had been either embarrassing or worse, forgettable.There was, it turns out, no need to worry: the first film, starring Timothée Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides, won six Oscars and was a box office smash. And somehow, Dune: Part Two looks set to surpass the intergalactic expectations set by the debut’s success. It has earned breathless five-star reviews and sold out preview screenings. So how did he do it?
For Esquire Talks, our new series of conversations with prominent artists and creators, Villeneuve reveals the eclectic movies that shaped his blockbuster sequel. Which Scorsese flick inspired Villeneuve’s immersive world building? What films did the director look to when interpreting the book’s messianic narrative? And which Japanese animation influenced Chalamet’s transformation from tortured hero to undeniable leader? Find out the answers to all those, plus Villeneuve’s thoughts on a potential adaptation of Dune: Messiah, in our latest video.
Dune: Part Two is in cinemas from 1 March
Henry Wong is a senior culture writer at Esquire, working across digital and print. He covers film, television, books, and art for the magazine, and also writes profiles.
