Denis Villeneuve Says ‘I Don’t Care’ If Quentin Tarantino Refuses to Watch ‘Dune,’ but ‘What I Did Was Not a Remake … I See This as an Original’

As a cinephile with over four decades of film-watching under my belt, I must admit that I find Quentin Tarantino‘s stance on not watching Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” and its sequel intriguing, albeit slightly baffling. Having grown up in the 80s and 90s, I had the privilege of witnessing the golden age of Tarantino’s career, and I hold a deep respect for his unique storytelling abilities.

During a Q&A session at Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal, Quebec (as reported by Montreal Gazette), Denis Villeneuve responded to Quentin Tarantino’s viral comments about not watching “Dune” and its sequel. The Academy Award-winning director of “Pulp Fiction” expressed his disinterest in remakes and felt no need to watch Villeneuve’s films since he was already familiar with the “Dune” story through David Lynch’s earlier adaptation.

According to the Gazette, Villeneuve stated, “I couldn’t care less,” as the room burst into laughter. He admitted he shares the sentiment about disliking the concept of recycling and revisiting old ideas. However, where they differ is his belief that what he did was not a remake but an adaptation from the book. To him, it represents something original.

Villeneuve added, “But we are very different human beings.”

Earlier this month, Quentin Tarantino appeared on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.” When asked if “Dune: Part Two” was the best film of the year as many claim, he remained undecided since he has no plans to watch it.

Quentin Tarantino stated, “I’ve watched David Lynch’s ‘Dune’ more than once. I have no desire to witness that tale again.” He expressed this in reference to his disinterest towards Villeneuve’s adaptations. “I don’t require viewing spice worms. I don’t need a movie that emphasizes the word ‘spice’ so dramatically,” he added.

Tarantino stated, “It seems like one remake follows another these days.” People ask him if he’s watched ‘Dune’, ‘Ripley’, or ‘Shogun’. My response is always no. There are six or seven Ripley books. If they do it again, why retell the same story that has been told twice already? I didn’t enjoy it in either version, so I don’t have much interest in watching a third iteration. If they told another story instead, I might be intrigued enough to give it a try.

Over the past few weeks, Denis Villeneuve has been actively engaging with the media, as the buildup to the Oscars for “Dune: Part Two” gains momentum. While Quentin Tarantino might not be paying attention, other esteemed directors like Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg have already lauded Villeneuve’s work on the “Dune” sequel.

“Let me start by saying there are filmmakers who are the builders of worlds,” Spielberg told Villeneuve during a conversation at the Directors Guild of America in March. “It’s not a long list and we know who a lot of them are. Starting with [Georges] Méliès and Disney and Kubrick, George Lucas. Ray Harryhausen I include in that list. Fellini built his own worlds. Tim Burton. Obviously Wes Anderson, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Guillermo del Toro. The list goes on but it’s not that long of a list, and I deeply, fervently believe that you are one of its newest members.”

Spielberg later praised Villeneuve by saying, “You’ve crafted one of the most brilliant sci-fi movies I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.

Visit the Montreal Gazette’s webpage for further insights from Villeneuve’s conversation held at Concordia University.

2024-11-09 01:46

Denis Villeneuve Says ‘I Don’t Care’ If Quentin Tarantino Refuses to Watch ‘Dune,’ but ‘What I Did Was Not a Remake … I See This as an Original’

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